


Oasis

by universepunk



Category: Bleach
Genre: Action & Romance, Action/Adventure, Adventure, Bleach - Freeform, Fantasy, Gay Sex, LGBTQ Themes, M/M, Romance, Shounen, Shounen-ai, Yaoi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-12-31
Updated: 2017-09-21
Packaged: 2017-12-24 20:14:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 83
Words: 321,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/944171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/universepunk/pseuds/universepunk
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A tale of two soldiers bound by fate. Amid Aizen's attempt to revive an ancient weapon in the desert ruins, Ichigo is kidnapped by Grimmjow-who intends to break and kill him. However, the two eventually wind up journeying to Inoue to bring her home and to get Grimmjow's arm healed, all the while falling in love... and unknowingly into Aizen's plan to take over the realm. AU, Yaoi</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. sinner and a saint

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of the characters in it. The story and characters belong to Tite Kubo. I am also not earning anything from this story apart from simple entertainment.
> 
> Warning! Contains: Yaoi (man on man action in a sexual way), AU primarily the setting , Lemon, Some Non-Con, Abuse (initially), Captivity, Graphic battle and sexual scenes...
> 
> Heads up: In the beginning it will come off as "Non-Con," but if you stick with it, you will be led to a different place.
> 
> Now! I don't think I'm forgetting anything major... I have given all the warning I can to those of you who have ventured into this story.
> 
> A/N: This first chapter is mainly meant to establish the setting of the story and give a feel for the main characters.
> 
> Pairing: Grimmjow x Ichigo

A prince.

That's precisely what he was. Grimmjow Jaegerjaques. Twenty six years old and renowned as the most destructive force in the desert kingdom of Los Noches.

He was the fifth prince to be exact and the sixth admiral in the court of ten to be chosen from to take the throne. This, of course, was only to happen when the king was either dethroned or slain in battle. Although his rank wasn't high, not even in the top five, the last thing the cerulean haired man did was worry about such a thing.

After all, none of the other nine were foolish enough to attack another in the court, handpicked by the king himself. Since they all remained secluded to their separate quarters most often, which were quite a fair distance apart in the palace, no one knew who held resentment against whom. Therefore, an attack could lead to an all out war between them, which would likely destroy the entire kingdom itself.

Sosuke Aizen, the second and current king, was out of the kingdom at the moment for reasons unknown. A perfect opportunity to take over and take him out upon his return, but he was far too powerful a man to even think of attempting something like that. Not to mention his two little drones who patrolled the palace and kept order for him while he was gone.

Gin and Tousen.

Two nuisances who got in the way of any real fun that could have been had while Aizen wasn't around. Especially Tousen. But they were stronger than even the ten Espada, as they had been formally named. Aizen's ability to control those two the way he did only further proved his power to them.

That is why everyone united under him. He was commanding. Fearless. Damned near omniscient. What more could the peasants ask for in a leader? At least they knew they'd be protected when danger arose… When he was in the kingdom that is.

The only person who could take on their king, it seemed, was Yamamoto Genryuusai in that bothersome kingdom that wasn't too great a distance away from their own western border.

Seireitei was it? Yeah, that was its name.

He may have been strong, but that old fart wasn't even their true king. He and his other twelve courts were just protection for the mystery man himself.

Grimmjow stood in his window, looking down to the streets full of peasants going about their miserable lives. Somewhere out there was a few of Yamamoto's underlings, here to be liaisons between the two kingdoms and to help out with recovery efforts.

After an attack the other day by some giant camel spiders, many of the citizens were left wounded and many more of them dead.

Grimmjow quickly put on a vest and left it open for the world to see his well-built form before exiting his quarters to go and see the extent of the damage for himself. He hadn't taken care of any of the spiders. It was Ulquiorra and Halibel, the saints that they were, who had gone and put the gargantuan arachnids down.

Even thinking about doing that was simply a pain. It wasn't worth his time to save the weak and defenseless. After all, the walls around the southern edge of the city were the most fortified so the scum should have had some chance of at least hiding their sorry carcasses when the first sign of danger appeared.

"Can't wait to see the fear in the people's eyes!" He smirked before the large white door to his quarters shut behind him.

The sight of people fearing something always brought him pleasure.

* * *

Ichigo Kurosaki, an accomplished and compassionate young doctor of only twenty years old, followed two of his closest comrades through the streets of Los Noches Kingdom.

Rukia and Renji, a duo to be reckoned with, trotted confidently down the dark golden streets of this unfamiliar and utterly depressed place.

The people, although surrounded by the majestic sands of the surrounding desert, all seemed downtrodden and hopelessly uninspired.

"Where are we going, Rukia?" Renji asked, "I thought we were helping Ichigo out."

"No, you and I need to meet with the Primera to let him know we're sending more medics to aid in seeing to the injured. That's it. Besides, what can you do to help an injured person but make the situation worse?" said girl asked.

"Haha very funny. Are you sure Ichigo is enough for today? Shouldn't we have brought Inoue or Ishida along as well?"

"Ahem! I'm still right behind you, you know?" Ichigo commented before squinting.

Renji stopped, "Oh, right… You know, I think the hospital is that way..." he said while pointing in a direction he chose arbitrarily.

"It's actually just a few streets over in that direction." Rukia corrected while pointing the opposite way, "Want us to escort you there, Ichigo?"

"I can handle a sword even better than a scalpel. Besides, when did I ever need protection from either of you?" the orange-haired boy asked with a confident smile.

"Right. Well, we'll go on to the palace and then come back when everything is taken care of. I think we're supposed to stay the night…or those may have been orders just for you… I'll radio in and find out for sure when I get back." The short girl spoke before continuing on her way to the large palace.

It was practically the first thing to be seen even at a distance from the kingdom. If Ichigo needed to find them, he'd know exactly where to go.

"Hey! Wait for me!" Renji shouted and then sped after his departing companion.

Ichigo watched as the two disappeared into the bustling crowd of people that filled this town to the brim.

Many of them seemed malnourished, others just lacking in any sense of inspiration or motivation.

It was so starkly different from home.

Back where he, Rukia, and Renji hailed from, everyone had a purpose. Even the townspeople in the Rukongai District went about their day to day lives with eagerness and content.

He turned and headed down the street that led to the hospital, slightly wishing he had just stayed home and trained today like he had intended to do. But when Unohana calls and requests you personally, there's nothing you can do but show up and heed her orders.

She was scary sometimes. No doubt she would have visited once she returned just to give him that cold, staring face she was famous for.

Why she had called him over Ishida, someone with more medical experience than he had, sort of puzzled him. It wasn't like he was the best there was, although he had received some medical training apart from the training he had undergone to become a bona fide soldier.

The deep black sword he was so used to wielding glistened at his side in the sunlight. Zangetsu was its name.

How many battles had he fought with this blade? Far too many to recall. Even Renji had been defeated, though just barely, with this deadly beauty.

It meant a lot to him because he had forged it during his training with Urahara, one of the primary tacticians and scientists of Seireitei Kingdom. Although he'd rather laze around and sell candy, Yamamoto put him to work alongside Kurotsuchi Mayuri, his all time rival. Seeing them together was truly a sight.

"Excuse me, sir?" a little boy called out which brought the orange-haired boy back to reality.

"Yes?" Ichigo turned and responded with a welcoming smile.

He assumed it was probably the only one this kid would see today, unfortunately.

"D-do you have any money you could spare? My little sister is really sick and she needs some medicine, but my family is too poor to afford it. I've been out asking all day but no one has been able to spare even a copper coin for me…"

"Heh, your luck's changed then. You caught me right after payday little guy. Let me get my wallet and I'll help you out."

Just as he reached down into his back pocket, everyone on the street suddenly tensed up and looked in his direction with fearful expressions.

"I-I'm not going to do anything… I promise. See, it's just my wallet." He assured while holding it in the air.

The boy stepped back from him and fell onto his knees before bowing his head to the ground apologetically.

"No, you don't need to… Uh… I didn't mean to be praised… I'm just trying to-"

"You there, peasant, what do you think you're doing!?"

Ichigo turned slowly and saw a man, he assumed to be one of the admirals of this place, with vibrant cerulean blue hair and eyes approaching him.

The look on his face said he clearly disapproved of this exchange entirely.

"I'm no peasant. I'm a soldier from the Seireitei Kingdom here to help those who were wounded in the attack two days ago. Your Primera called for us and we came, just as asked."

Grimmjow stopped just a few meters away from the 'soldier'. He was not pleased by this one bit. Those who cannot do for themselves and earn their own money should be left for dead. They were no better than the garbage in the hospital right now, begging for help.

Why encourage weakness in the kingdom? It'd just end up being slack he and the other Espada would have to make up for later.

The bluenette put his hand on his sword and was about to draw it to end this person's life, but he remembered that he had said that he was a soldier from Seireitei. The one thing that was forbidden between the two kingdoms was an all out murder of the other side's soldiers. Just like an Espada on Espada battle, it could also be the trigger to war, but this time it would be one of cataclysmic proportions.

Genryuusai and Aizen had signed a ceasefire treaty a while back to avoid total loss of the two neighboring kingdoms. Although, Aizen had every intention of taking over the Seireitei and assassinating its true king, he held off on those plans for some unknown reason.

It was probably because he knew, even with his ten precious Espada, he would never be able to do it. The thought of the unknown strength of their king, for someone calculating and tactical to a fault, must have been too much of a gamble.

Thus, the two kingdoms coexisted and even thrived on each other.

Seireitei was more vegetated with green plants and had a vast blue lake on its western end that led to a forested mountain range, which was in the exact opposite direction of Los Noches. They willingly brought fresh food and water when Los Noches's reserves were low.

On the other hand, Los Noches supplied Seireitei with all the glass it could produce since their own kingdom was primarily composed of sand. What they did with it was their own business.

Grimmjow released his sword and looked to the cowering child just behind the orange-haired soldier standing before him.

"In this kingdom, beggars and their children are put to death. I'll see it through now." He said before walking past the shorter soldier.

Before he could draw his sword, Ichigo stepped back in his way and used himself as a shield for the now crying child.

"Stand aside. This has nothing to do with you."

"I absolutely can't allow you to kill a child. It's immoral. What kind of rule is it that beggars are to be killed? This is a citizen in your own home. If you're one of the princes of this kingdom, then why not share some of that wealth when you can for someone who needs just a few coins that you surely wouldn't miss?"

"You're interfering with Los Noches customs! Move aside or I'll be forced to cut you down!" Grimmjow roared, drawing the eyes of even people from the second floors of their homes.

"You'll just have to kill me then." Ichigo responded, unwavering in his determination.

Grimmjow gazed into the brown eyes now staring at him disapprovingly.

It burned him to the core to see this inferior warrior looking down on him in such a way. He gripped his sword and even felt his knuckles cracking from the tight grip he had on it.

Seeing someone look at him like this reminded him of how often Nnoitora did the same thing or Ulquiorra verbalized his complete disapproval of his actions.

And that boiled his blood. This nobody from a kingdom that prided itself on numbers over strength had the audacity to stand in his way without even drawing his weapon? He couldn't let this go.

Just as he began pulling his prized sword from its sheathe, a calm, unmistakably pale hand on his shoulder caused him to stop.

"Grimmjow, you're certainly aware of the rules about striking a soldier from Serietei." Ulquiorra commented with little interest on the matter whatsoever.

In fact, in his other hand he had a book he was reading from.

"Ulquiorra! Don't stand in my way! Get lost!"

"I don't believe you have the time for this foolishness. Let's return to the palace. If Aizen found out you were undermining his authority by doing exactly what he proscribed us not to do, he'd surely have your head. Tousen would gladly pass the knowledge of this situation onto him if he got word of it."

Grimmjow glanced back at the boy in front of him one last time before he couldn't bear to look at him any longer.

Doing the prudent thing, he sheathed his sword once more and abruptly turned to go back to the palace.

Ulquiorra tossed a few shimmering golden coins on the ground to the boy just behind Ichigo before doing the same. He didn't even acknowledge the orange-haired boy's existence.

Ichigo lowered his arms and sighed a heavy breath of relief. That could have gone a whole lot worse.

When he turned around, the child stood and sincerely thanked him for offering his money before rushing off with the gold pieces he had received.

"Well, it's not an ideal way to do it, but I saved one life so far today." He smiled.

The crowds of people quickly returned to their respective activities when he continued on his way to the hospital.

Ichigo could clearly see the entrance to the hospital now. There were more lives to save and less time to be concerned about the insensitive admirals Aizen had working under him.

* * *

"Have you lost your senses completely, Grimmjow?" Ulquiorra asked when he caught up to said man.

His emerald green eyes moved from the pages of his book to the other disapprovingly.

"If you hadn't interrupted I would-"

"Likely have triggered the second war that would have led to countless deaths simply because you wanted to rid the town of a beggar child? That isn't your main concern at the moment. Once we return to the palace, I do hope you'll meditate on your actions."

Grimmjow ignored the pale man completely.

That damned kid. Those damned eyes. That unbelievable defiance.

He had to die for his insolence and interference with matters that didn't concern him. The only thing left to him was to be defeated, dominated, and then utterly destroyed. That's all there was to it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, so I should let you all know this story is hosted on fanfiction.net, but I think it may be taken down at some point...maybe never, but I'm posting it here just in case. Updates will come at the same times as they do on fanfiction. If I forget, just shoot me an email or leave a comment to remind me to update it on here.  
> Enjoy the story.


	2. burning with passion

To say that Rukia's chat with the Primera Espada was long may have been a bit of an understatement.

The two had discussed the attack on Los Noches and even came to the conclusion that perhaps the beasts of the land, having been here before either kingdom, were trying to take back the desert.

Though, everything seemed alright back home. Nothing had come from the forests to attack the Seireitei.

Which was a good sign she assumed.

As she walked down the street, she shivered at the thought of the phantom forest that lie just beyond the meadows. Thankfully the creatures in that place kept to themselves, as did the citizens of their kingdom. It was a rather peaceful coexistence.

When she rounded the next corner, she could see the southern gate that Renji had went to when the meeting started. He got bored and assumed he would be of more help in the reconstruction of it, so he was excused.

The short girl sighed, "Well, guess I'd best get to the hotel and check back with Captain Ukitake."

A nice hot bath sounded lovely right now. She'd take one before she did anything else.

" _Best do it before the other two come and dirty the tub up."_  She thought with a smile.

* * *

As he stepped out of the hospital, Ichigo sighed at the warmth the evening was providing. After a long day of being inside the freezing cold building, the change in temperature was more than welcome.

Just as he was about to head down the street, Hanataro hurried out the main doors of the hospital and ran after him.

"Ichigo-san!" he called.

Said boy turned around and smiled when he saw the familiar frantic face of Hanataro, "What's up?"

"Unohana-san asked me to catch you and tell you thanks for the assistance today."

"Oh, that's no problem at all. It is kind of my job to help her when she needs me. But why didn't she call Ishida or Inoue? Heck, even my dad could have done more than I did…"

"Surely you're not serious… It is strict law that we do not involve Quincies, civilians, or retired Court Guards in our matters. It's not that they're trying to be discriminatory in any way, it just isn't prudent to endanger civilians. The Quincies are their own organization and aren't always willing to provide assistance to us. So you have to understand where the Head Captain is coming from in that decision."

"I guess that makes sense…"

"You missed his decree on the matter didn't you?"

"Maybe…" Ichigo said while looking away guiltily.

"Oh, there's something else. Unohana-san wanted me to tell you that since you reduced the number of patients today by over half, you can take the next few days off to escort Rukia-san and Lieutenant Abarai home. Lieutenant Isane and I can handle the remaining ones. But your help would be appreciated when you return."

Ichigo grinned. Honestly, he had just done everything he had been asked to do so it was no surprise the number of patients fell drastically.

"Thanks, Hanataro. Tell her I'll take them home and then come back."

"Right! A roundabout trip is near a week long so have a safe journey, Ichigo-san!"

"Right. Well, see you later Hanataro." Ichigo said before turning and heading on his way to the hotel he and the others were sharing for the night.

On his way down the streets of the city, he noticed a few people excitedly running to where smoke was rising.

Figuring he'd see what the commotion was about, he followed them carefully.

What he came upon was not disaster. Instead, it appeared to be some sort of celebration.

Gypsies danced around a large bonfire merrily, beckoning the citizens to join them. Given the way the townsfolk carried themselves earlier, seeing some of them join in the jovial activity was honestly a shock.

"Guess there's no emergency here…" the boy commented.

"Why would there be one?" a gypsy girl asked as she danced over to him.

"Oh, it just seemed like-"

"Fire isn't always a bad thing, silly soldier. I don't blame you for thinking in such a way. With all the heat from the desert, it would be no surprise if a fire broke out and destroyed the city."

"Who are you?" Ichigo asked.

"The name is Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck. Call me Nel for short. Would you care to dance with me?" she asked, before grabbing him by the arm and pulling him near the fire.

Ichigo awkwardly moved as the girl spun around him. He turned his gaze to the firebreathers when they started spewing fire. They walked down the street, earning claps as they lit up the darker parts of it.

When he heard an explosion, Ichigo turned back to the bonfire. Children, given powder bombs by the gypsies, threw them into the fire and watched as they changed the color of the entire blaze. It was really a captivating thing to see.

Brown eyes turned back to the girl who smiled and led him to a seat near the flames.

"So, why are you here in the kingdom?"

The girl turned to the people, "They need us here. We normally don't stay in one place for too long, but if we can bring even a tiny bit of happiness to this place, then that's what we'll do." she said benevolently.

A tall gypsy who was passing stopped and offered them drinks.

"No thanks, I'll pass."

"Learn to live a little!" Nel grinned before taking two drinks from the man's tray.

Ichigo sighed and took the liquor.

"So, handsome soldier from a distant land, is there anyone your heart burns for?"

"What kind of question is that all of the sudden!?"

"Well, when I see the fire, it reminds me of the passion we are capable of having for someone. And that carrot top of yours reminds me of it. Besides, I'm just curious. You're quite a looker."

"If you must know, there isn't anyone like that in my life. But I do have my friends and family back in Seireitei who I would die for."

Nel smiled, "It must be hard to be a soldier and have no one waiting for you to embrace you when you return."

"That's not such a problem to me. Love comes in all shapes and forms, and I've got as many of them as I need. By the way," he turns from staring at the flames to Nel, "How did you know I was a soldier?"

"Oh, I saw your little act of valor earlier with the Sexta Espada, Grimmjow Jaegerjaques."

"You saw that?" Ichig blushed.

It was pretty embarrassing having all those people watching him stand up to one of their higher ups. But he deserved it for the way he was behaving.

"I did. Some guts you have there. That guy could have killed you."

"Hey, Nel."

"Yeah?"

"You asked me if I had a lover as though you were an expert on the matter. Does that mean you have a lover?"

The girl burst into laughter and had to put her drink down, "No way! I'm only sixteen. Love is a foreign word to me."

"Then how do you see it fit to talk about it like you've lived a thousand lives and loved in each one of them?"

"Because I'm a girl, duh! And I'm also not fighting for anything like you are."

The orange-haired boy turned back to the fire and continued to drink. He turned though when he remembered what she had just said, "You're only sixteen but you're drinking!?"

"I'm a gypsy. No one cares about that kind of thing." Nel grinned.

"Right…"

The girl smiled and raised her glass, "May you find the love you deserve."

"Yeah, a girl who'll be there for me through thick and thin."

Nel turned to him and smiled, "I never said anything about a  _girl_."

Before Ichigo could offer any kind of retaliation, the bonfire exploded in a brilliant display of blue flames.

* * *

It was now after dark and the stars were appearing one by one in the sky, signaling the end of another day in the kingdom of lost dreams.

"Master Grimmjow, are you feeling well? It isn't like you to sulk around." Shawlong asked when he stepped into the courtyard his commander rested in.

The bluenette turned his attention from the sky to his subordinate, "No, I'm not. And I'm  _not_  sulking. Ulquiorra is just too soft and he knows it. A warrior shouldn't stand down in the face of a challenge, and that's exactly what he did today. Not only that, but he made me do it as well."

"A challenge? What exactly are you referring to?"

Grimmjow stood and walked over to the stone railing around his large courtyard and leaned on it, "Earlier today this soldier from that other kingdom stood up to me. He even had the balls to look down on me like he was so much better than I was and I'll have his head for it."

"How do you plan to do that?"

"I don't know yet."

"Why not challenge him to a duel? I'm not entirely certain how you would go about killing him, but there is absolutely nothing forbidden to us about dueling soldiers from the other kingdom. At the very least, you can prove you are the stronger fighter."

Blue eyes turned to the black-haired man, "I need some time alone to think, but thank you for that advice. I may do just that."

"Anytime your highness. I'll take my leave then." Shawlong said before bowing and then retreating from the courtyard.

Grimmjow turned back to the city below. He had already planned to fight the fool, but he didn't think to make an official request of it. That was Shawlong for you, always thinking of something useful.

He would challenge this soldier to a duel, defeat him, and then…

Well, what then?

Would he kill him? Or would he spare him?

Murdering him would immediately trigger war between the two kingdoms, and as Aizen had said when the treaty was signed, that was to be avoided right now.

"I don't have the patience to think about shit like this." The man said before turning to go inside.

Some sleep would be the best remedy for his restless mind. The less he thought and the more he acted, the better he figured things would turn out.

After taking a near scorching hot bath and seeing that Pantera was fast asleep on the upper terrace, he crawled into his oversized bed and fell face first on his pillows.

Although at some point he had fallen asleep, a peaceful respite was far from what he got during it.

Even in his dreams this boy taunted him. Called him out and watched as he walked away with Ulquiorra, assuming he would have won a bout between them anyway.

Grimmjow was swimming in those brown eyes, looking for some way to escape. And then suddenly, he was run through with that ebony blade the boy carried at his side.

That was what shook him from his sleep.

Sweat covered him from head to toe, drenching his sheets. He panted, gripped his blankets, and clenched his teeth in all out fury.

"Even in my fucking dreams he mocks me?!" the cerulean-haired man breathed out heavily.

Upon glancing at the clock on his wall, he saw that it was just past two in the morning. This development wasn't the least bit pleasing to him.

"If only I had ended him earlier today… I wouldn't be going through this shit right now!" he yelled.

Pantera, the large gray panther, walked into the room from the terrace and gazed down at his master. It was unlike him to be awake this time of day, or morning.

His blue eyes followed Grimmjow when he threw back his sheets and stalked out of the room angrily.

He returned with a palace concubine walking ahead of him hurriedly. When she got to the bed, she immediately dropped her gown, climbed onto the sheets, and got into position for intercourse.

The panther turned and went back out to the terrace. There was no need for him to see his master in the act of dominating someone less powerful than he.

He put his paws over his ears when the woman began moaning audibly, screaming that she was glad to please her prince and admiral.

Inside the room, Grimmjow was giving her a merciless pounding, trying to drown out the thought of his manhood which had been called on today.

He was performing so aggressively that he didn't notice when the concubine began crying.

When he did though, it only fueled him.

What would it be like to force that orange-haired boy into this position? Would he cry? Would he scream? Would he beg for it to end?

The myriad of thoughts raced through Grimmjow's head until he began imagining this woman as the boy. Broken and vulnerable beneath him.

The image was shattered, however, when the concubine raised her arms and leaned up to press her lips against his.

Immediately, he grabbed her face and forced her back onto the bed.

"That's not what this means. Me fucking you only shows how weak you are, woman. Nothing more, nothing less."

Upon hearing this, the woman turned away, brought her hand to her mouth, and cried as Grimmjow continued his ruthless pounding.

The bluenette smirked. How it pleased him, the thought of that soldier writhing beneath him, moaning in pain and submitting to power. Giving in to the stronger man and losing himself in the process.

That thought alone was enough to make him pull out of the woman and lose himself all over her stomach with a loud, pleasurable moan.

Even the woman beneath him hadn't expected him to make such a noise.

"I-I'm glad I could please you, your highness." She said.

Honestly, she was content with having sex with the Espada. Her tears only arose from the pain felt as he pushed into her so far she felt like she was being repeatedly punched with a fist.

Grimmjow panted heavily and fell on his side, "Get out of my sight." He said.

As soon as the concubine left the room, he pulled the blankets over himself and fell asleep again.

Tomorrow was the time. He was going to make his move. And the orange-haired, brown-eyed boy wouldn't know what hit him either. He'd make sure of it.


	3. genesis

The king had returned.

Sosuke Aizen, a former member of the 13 Court Guard Squads, had come home from his long, enlightening journey.

He sat down to the table in the palace conference room quietly, waiting for his two associates to arrive for their summoning.

As he glanced around, he noticed the doors of the room were open, allowing light to flood in. It pleased him to see that it had been kept in pristine condition while he was away.

One of his younger attendants rushed in with a tray of tea and compliments for it before offering it to him.

The man gladly took it and excused the servant for his tardiness.

"Sipping tea as always." Gin smirked as he walked into the meeting room, followed by a silent Tousen.

"I have some very important matters to discuss with you two." Aizen said before putting his tea gently on the table.

"I hope your trip was engaging." Tousen said before bowing and then taking a seat at one of the chairs opposite of his commander.

"Indeed. I learned quite a lot and I'm pleased to share the knowledge with you."

"Well don't keep us waiting, where did you go?" Gin said, losing his patience.

"I was investigating the old temple far out in the desert. It's to the west of here."

"I wasn't aware of any temple." Tousen commented.

"Yes, while in Seireitei, information about it is kept top secret. The reason is because there's a weapon of great magnitude sealed deep within its bowels."

"Oooh, now you've got my attention!" the silver-haired man opened his frost blue eyes.

"I do believe a brief history lesson is in order for you to understand any part of what I'm about to reveal to you." Aizen picked up his glass of tea and took a quick sip from it before he continued, "Have either of you ever heard the term Earthian before?"

"Nope."

"No sir."

"I figured as much. Then I'm certain you've never heard of the word Skifenian before. Let me enlighten you on these two races. For the latter is the reason for the existence of the powerful weapon I'm seeking."

"Can we put that on hold for just one sec!" Gin said before standing, "I really have to… drain the snake…"

"Do hurry back." The brunette dismissed.

Gin scurried out of the room, and while he was gone, Tousen turned to his commander.

"Why do you need Gin, sir? He is simply a nuisance."

Aizen glanced up from his tea, "Because he's just as strong as you are. He too was a captain of the Seireitei, are you forgetting?"

"I know. He just seems, lackadaisical, for lack of a better word. Are you sure he's the right choice for aiding you?"

"I need his strength. A time will come when I won't be here to defend the kingdom. I'm counting on you and him to see to its safety until I return."

"Yes sir."

Gin returned to the room and quickly took his seat again, "Sorry sir, those liquor drinks these Arrancar can shake up are really strong."

"Let's return to the matter at hand, shall we? As I was saying, in ancient times, there existed two races: Earthians and Skifenians. As you can imagine, the Earthians lived on the ground and continue to exist to this day. The Skifenians, on the other hand, lived in the sky. A kingdom of size and wonder embellished the clouds and they existed peacefully in its embrace. They were gifted with the knowledge of the universe and were even considered beings from another planet. The intellect of their race was not to be taken lightly."

"Hold on, I have a question! If they were a peaceful race, why do they have a weapon of destruction that even you want? Must be powerful…" Gin said childishly.

"I'm getting to that." The calm voiced man responded, "It should come as no shock to either you that the Earthians and the Skifenians did not mingle, too often, I should say. The races kept to themselves, observing each other from a distance. But the Earthians longed to live up in the clouds as the Skifenians did. They wanted to know what made them so much more different, and so they invented flying mechanisms to reach the kingdom in the sky."

"I'm sure it didn't turn out well for them." Tousen commented.

"Precisely. The Earthians did eventually manage to reach the kingdom, but the ones who did never returned to their homelands."

"Mystery? *GASP* Murder!?" Gin grinned.

"What became of them is unknown, but it is said that this sparked the interest in some passive Skifenians. A small number of them descended on the earth and learned all they could about the ones who dwelled there. This inevitably brought about a mixing of the races."

"Making babies, huh? An excellent way to foster peace between nations. Not."

Aizen turned to Gin who turned away quickly, "Afraid of their race dying out through dilution of their pure blood, the radical priests of the sky came together and decided it was forbidden for the study of the Earthians to progress any further. They abandoned their own kind who had descended for that sole purpose and then produced a weapon capable of destroying an entire nation with celestial energy, thus proving they were connected to that which was a shroud of mystery to the Earthians."

"So, is it possible that the blood of the Skifenians runs through the veins of those in this land?"

"Indeed. Though the kingdom is gone and the race near extinct, the king of Seireitei is a pureblooded Skifenian."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold the phone! How is that possible!?" Gin asked after opening his eyes once more.

"Surely you didn't think there wouldn't be descended Skifenians that didn't feel the same as their priests? On that note, there were those who procreated with the Earthians. The blood is thin, but I already know someone who is a carrier."

"Is it- Is it you, Aizen-taichou?"

"No. The blood of the Earthians courses through my veins."

"Then who is it?" Tousen asked.

"In due time. I'd like to discuss the weapon with you."

Gin sat back in his seat, "Do tell."

"Though it's a powerful weapon, it is impossible for me to obtain it without the key. This key is sealed away in the forested temple far to the west."

"Doesn't the king live past the forested temple?"

"In a sanctuary above the mountains, yes. And there is no doubt in my mind he knows the key is there."

"You're going to the temple, aren't you? Through the meadow, phantom forest, and the forbidden districts too?"

"Of course. But… there is also another component I need to activate the weapon."

A silver eyebrow rose, "That would be…?"

"The sacrifice of a Skifenian." The brunette said with a grin, "A perfect example of the tenacity that race was famous for. Creating such a measure on the activation of the weapon, knowing full well the knowledge of them would die out over time and those carrying their blood wouldn't even be aware they had it. There are only a handful of people who know of the existence of the Skifenians to this day."

"Who!?" Gin asked curiously, "Is Kisuke-"

"Let's not get into details, Gin."

"So, this one you know of, you'll sacrifice them? And they don't even know they're a carrier of this ancient blood?" Tousen asked.

"Indeed. While I'm gone, I'd like you two to see that things are in order until I return."

Gin turned and smiled at Tousen, "Hear that, he said you  _two_."

"Don't remind me."

Aizen stood from his seat, ready to cleanse himself of the stress and grime of his travels.

"One last thing," when the other two men turned to him, he smiled, "Please refrain from intervening in the affairs of the Espada while I'm gone. Let the children play. Things will go according to my plan if you do not interfere with them."

"Yes sir. You have my word." Tousen said with a bow.

"Yeah, yeah." Gin smiled.

"Take this seriously, Ichimaru." The darker man commented, displeased with the attitude he was giving Aizen.

When their commander left the room, Gin turned to the other, "Say, Tousen, I wonder who that Skifenian descendant is Aizen-taichou mentioned."

Said man did not respond although he was just as curios about who it could be.

* * *

"Ichigo, pick up the pace!" Renji said irritably as he walked beside Rukia, just ahead of the boy.

They were all walking through the city, making their way to the kingdom's massive white gates. As instructed, Rukia and Renji were going home and Ichigo was, at his own leisure, escorting them.

"Shut up, Renji! I'm looking for someone!" the orange-haired boy exclaimed as his brown eyes wandered through the crowds of townspeople that bustled around him.

There was no sign of Nelliel anywhere and she had promised she'd be in town today.

"Who are you looking for, Ichigo?" Rukia asked as she comfortably walked beside the tattooed redhead.

Renji was carrying her baggage as well as his own. Since he had offered to do so, she didn't see any reason to turn him down on the offer.

"A gypsy I met last night."

"Have you fallen in love with her?" Renji mocked.

"Not even! Keep walking, pack mule!" Ichigo said angrily.

After a brief argument between the two redheads, the three arrived at the kingdom gates and were allowed to leave after showing their badges.

"Yours was a substitute badge." Renji turned and mocked once more.

Ichigo smirked, "I may only be a substitute, but I beat you, didn't I?"

"Why you-"

"Ouch, that's gotta hurt…" Rukia said as if the comment pained even her.

"Sh-shut up, Ichigo!"

As they continued down the road that led to their own kingdom, Ichigo couldn't help but notice how swelteringly hot it was. When Rukia and Renji moved to walking in the shade along the walls of Los Noches, he followed their example.

The sun was shining brightly in the sky, so bright it was unbearable to be trapped under it for too long. It was nothing like how temperate it was back home.

"Still hot…" the boy commented before taking off his top layers and letting them fall to his sides.

"Look who has some muscles." Renji said sarcastically, "Keep up or we'll leave you behind for the animals to eat."

The boy stopped for a moment to drink from his water and then responded when he was done.

"One more time, Renji. One more word and it's you and me."

"Calm down you fools. We've got a long way to go and I'm not in the mood for-"

Rukia stopped abruptly and put her hand on her sword.

"Rukia? What's wrong?" Ichigo asked.

Violet eyes gazed up to the roof of one of the lookout towers connected to the wall they were walking along. The massive reiatsu that suddenly appeared up there was too much for her to ignore.

Renji bent down to her and then looked in the direction she was looking in before his eyes went wide.

Ichigo grinned at the two a few feet ahead of him, "Guys, what's the big-"

Gravity suddenly felt as though it was crushing all three of them for a moment before it vanished and someone jumped down into the sand between them.

Rukia and Renji jumped back out into the sun. Ichigo did the same, but in the opposite direction.

"You…!" he said with wide eyes.

"It's time for us to fight, Court Guard. I'm here to duel you." Grimmjow said before drawing his white sword.

It shined brilliantly in the sunlight as he pointed it in Ichigo's direction.

"I won't fight you, Espada. Especially for no reason. If you're still upset about that beggar child, then maybe you should resign from your position as a prince. Your kingdom definitely doesn't need a king who'd kill the weak and helpless out of spite."

The cerulean-haired man smirked daftly, "You will fight! I'll make sure of it!"

Ichigo's eyes widened as he watched Grimmjow disappear from in front of him and then reappear next to Renji.

Before the redhead could react, he was cut down and fell face first into the sand.

"RENJI!" Ichigo shouted.

Rukia stepped back and began chanting an incantation. But before she could finish, Grimmjow charged her and ran his hand through her stomach.

He grinned at the blood trails flowing rapidly down his arm. After the girl grabbed his arm and dug her nails into it defensively, he lifted her small frame into the air.

"RUKIA, NO!" Ichigo made to draw his sword but before he could, Grimmjow put his hand over the girl's mouth.

"Let's see you chant something now." The man smirked wickedly before preparing to fire a Cero.

"Wait! Grimmjow, don't do it!"

At the sound of his own name, the Espada turned, "If you want them to stay alive, you'll have to duel and kill me."

Ichigo pulled his ebony sword from its sheathe and dropped his bag before raising it in Grimmjow's direction, "I- I accept the challenge. Drop Rukia and face me, one on one." He said with a considerable look of determination.

"That's the look you'll die for, Court Guard!" the bluenette smirked before tossing Rukia carelessly on top of Renji.

Brown eyes looked to his wounded comrades, clinging desperately to life, before turning back to their vicious attacker. There was no choice. He'd have to go all out on this guy and end this quickly.


	4. ambiguous motive

"Nel-onee-chan!"

The gypsy girl turned when she heard her name being called. She smiled warmly when she saw that it was the small child that Ichigo had saved from the Sexta Espada yesterday.

"Hi! What are you doing roaming through town again? Don't you live on the opposite end of the kingdom?" she asked.

"Mhmm! I was on my way home actually. My little sister is doing a lot better now thanks to Master Cifer's kindness!"

"I'm glad to hear that." Nel said with relief.

"I heard you were with the soldier who saved me last night, how's he doing?" the boy asked.

"I'm not sure… He was pretty shitfa- I mean, he was pretty  _silly_  last night so I saw to it that he got home safe. I thought I'd see him today, but I guess not…"

"Are you two talking about that handsome orange-haired soldier from Seireitei?" a townswoman asked as she approached.

"Yes, I'm actually looking for him right now." Nel responded.

"You won't find him on this end of the kingdom. He was heading to the main gates a little earlier."

"Really!? He must be leaving then! That jerk! Not even coming to say goodbye to me!"

"Well if you hurry you might catch him." The woman winked.

Nel blushed, "I- It's not like  _that_! Absolutely not!"

The woman laughed, "Of course, dear. Of course."

Before she could be embarrassed any further, Nel said farewell to the two and then headed in the direction of the kingdom gates. If she was lucky, she'd run into Ichigo before he was gone.

* * *

The tiny speckles of golden sand were the first things Renji saw after he slowly opened his eyes.

The man panted heavily and lifted himself off the ground, causing Rukia to fall off of his back. He turned and saw it was actually her who had been on top of him.

She too was panting uncontrollably.

Through the sheer pain felt from the wound that nearly cost him his right arm, he leaned over her and noticed the hole in her stomach.

"Rukia… Rukia! Stay with me…!" he called then patted her face.

"Ren…ji…" the girl said after slightly opening her eyes.

"Rukia, keep breathing...! We're gonna be… okay…"

Rukia smiled, "I don't think… *cough* I will… this time… *cough*"

"Rukia! Don't close your eyes! Rukia!"

The clashing sound of blades a few yards away quickly caught the redhead's attention. Though his vision of it was blurred from this distance, he could see that Ichigo was holding off the man who had attacked them.

When he made to stand, his gash bled profusely, causing him to fall back to the sand.

"*pant* Ichigo… destroy that bastard… *pant* and take care… of Rukia…" he said before passing out from blood loss.

…

"You'll have to do a lot better than that, Court Guard!" Grimmjow yelled excitedly after catching Ichigo's blade in his hand when the boy charged him with it.

Their battle was only just beginning and the Espada could already feel adrenaline pumping hurriedly through his veins. Pushing his demented desires past their limits.

To distance himself and formulate a plan, Ichigo swiftly kicked Grimmjow in the stomach, sending him flying through the sand.

"Heheh! You think that'll hold me back!?" With an atmosphere distorting Sonído, Grimmjow sped over to the boy and crashed his blade against the deep ebony one.

Ichigo staggered from the pressure and was forced backwards against his will.

"This isn't over, Grimmjow!" he yelled before ducking off from the Espada's ivory blade.

He jumped back a few feet and lifted his sword to perform his signature technique, but before he could, Grimmjow lifted his right hand.

An eerie blue light suddenly appeared in his palm and he quickly fired something.

Not knowing what else to do, Ichigo dodged it and quickly turned to see what it would have done had it hit him.

The explosion a few miles away gave him his answer. He stood staring at the rising dust cloud in the distance with shock and awe.

"Is he really trying to kill me?" he asked himself.

"Don't take your eyes off your enemy unless you wanna be stabbed in the back!" Grimmjow yelled irritably from where he was standing.

Ichigo turned and raised his sword defensively, but he noticed that the man hadn't made to attack him.

" _What the hell…?"_  he thought.

It was the perfect opportunity for him to make a lethal blow, but he instead chose to stand in place and offer advice? Just what was his true goal in this battle?

"Heheh!" the Espada grinned before Sonídoing to where the boy was standing.

Ichigo instinctively Flash Stepped out of the way of Grimmjow's blade and then countered. When their blades clashed, he applied his own strength, letting the other assume he wanted to win this sort of tug of war.

After a few seconds of their standoff, the boy jumped out of the way causing Grimmjow to fall forward. He used that as his countering opportunity and punched the larger man in the face. This sent the Espada flying backwards towards the bordering walls of Los Noches.

Grimmjow caught himself just before crashing and slammed his feet against the large, golden brown wall before using it for a Sonído boost.

Said boost left two deep footprints behind, which quickly led to the destruction of the surrounding area on the wall.

"TAKE THIS!" the bluenette shouted irately, sending his own fist crashing into Ichigo's face.

Due to the unbelievable force, the boy went flipping and flying out of control in the opposite direction across the sand dunes.

Thinking fast, Ichigo slammed his blade into the sand to slow himself down and then came to a stop. When he saw blood dripping on the ground, he clenched his teeth in anger. After looking over to Rukia and Renji, he glared at the grinning man who was now sprinting towards him.

If he didn't end this soon, there'd be nothing he could do to save his friends.

"They'll die like this…!" he said angrily.

Grimmjow, loving the enraged look on Ichigo's face, jumped into the air when he got close enough to the boy and then started spinning with his sword, acting as a lethal propeller.

His blade clashed against Ichigo's a few times before the boy repelled him into the air.

"Kehahahaha! You'll never save your little friends if you can't beat me! So you'd better stop fucking around!" Grimmjow taunted wickedly.

He could see the desperation in Ichigo's eyes and he loved it.

The feeling he got in this moment was a completely different sensation from the malice he felt earlier as he watched this side of the boy emerge, and he was enjoying it tremendously.

His cerulean eyes glinted when he saw a black and red essence emitting from the other's blade.

Ichigo pointed his sword out into the vast desert coolly before lifting it above his head with both his hands. This technique was one he had hoped to avoid using near an allying kingdom, but he was being given no choice under these circumstances. Rukia and Renji needed him, desperately.

"So you had a trick up your sleeve this whole time, huh?" the Espada grinned eagerly. He lifted his left hand and aimed it at the boy on the ground. "You're too little too late though!"

Ichigo closed his eyes and sighed, "Rukia… Renji… I'll end this now…"

Grimmjow grinned eagerly, "Take thi-"

"Getsuga TENSHOOOOUU!"

Blue eyes opened wide at the crescent-shaped, dark energy flying towards him at light speed. It was easy to tell that for as fast as it was approaching, evasion was impossible.

With haste, Grimmjow dropped his sword to the ground below and brought both of his arms up to protect his face.

A burning sensation stung its way across his unprotected torso and he felt like he would pass out from the burning pain it caused.

After a few moments of aftershock, the man lowered his arms, then glanced down and saw an ugly, dark scar flowing from his chest to his navel.

He was utterly surprised. No one had ever injured him before, let alone damaged his near impenetrable Hierro.

Ichigo panted for a moment before falling to his knees. Never had he used that technique so fiercely before. He chanced a glance up at Grimmjow and saw that he looked surprisingly pleased.

"Keheheheh! Hehahahahaha!" the man bellowed psychotically from the air.

"Damnit…" the orange-haired boy said, realizing he was now out of options.

"What a surprising technique! You're definitely worth the effort of this battle, Court Guard!"

Ichigo ignored the man and stood up. That Getsuga Tenshou had been his ultimate technique and this Espada was still standing strong despite getting hit point blank by it.

He turned to Rukia and Renji before biting his bottom lip in anger. They needed him. They needed immediate attention and then they needed to be taken to Inoue as soon as possible. Screw Yamamoto's orders, she'd never stand by idly when her friends were suffering.

The only thing standing in his way of saving them was this man.

Ichigo gripped his sword and jumped into the air furiously to attack, but before his sword could hit, Grimmjow ducked to the ground before picking up his own sword again.

Ichigo could see that the man was smirking after he glanced down at his new scar.

"You get off on pain, Espada?! 'Cause I'll give you more where that came from if you don't GET OUT OF MY WAY!"

Grimmjow looked up to Ichigo and grinned maliciously, "Keheheheh! I'm sure  _they_  do much more than me!"

The bluenette slit his finger along the blade of his sword and let the blood drip to the ground for a moment. Brown eyes widened when the man lifted his hand in Rukia and Renji's direction.

"You- No! Don't do it!"

"Keheheheh HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAH!"

"DON'T DO IT! THEY CAN'T EVEN DEFEND THEMSELVES!"

The familiar blue light of Grimmjow's Cero appeared, but this time it charged for a few moments and as it did the surrounding area got dark, "This is the end for them!"

"GRIMM-"

"Gran Rey Cero!" the bluenette exclaimed as he released his unrelenting attack.

Ichigo felt the world slowing down immensely and his heart beating uncontrollably. The Cero was flying right at Rukia and Renji, who probably weren't even conscious to see it coming.

They were his friends, like family. Forget defeating Grimmjow, saving them was his top priority right now!

He turned his back to the man on the ground and sped in their direction.

The wind whipped past his face and he gritted his teeth in anticipation of the worst possible outcome. The Cero was just ahead of him but he was speeding faster than he ever had before.

" _I can do this!"_  he thought, letting his mindset turn from thoughts of anxiety to ones confidence.

With seconds to spare, he made it to where Rukia and Renji were lying unconscious. He jumped into the sand and slid his way through it over to them before turning and using his sword to deflect the speeding Cero into the air. It was no small task, that was for sure. The pressure it contained had nearly crushed him.

As he watched it fade up into the atmosphere, he sighed a heavy breath of relief. Words couldn't begin to describe how out of breath he was or how glad he was that he was able to make it in time.

But before he could relax, he knew there was still an enemy to defeat.

After looking back to where Grimmjow had fired his attack from, he saw that the man was no longer there.

"Where-"

"Behind you, Court Guard."

Ichigo jumped at the sound of Grimmjow's raspy voice in his ear and turned to attack, but before he could he felt something hard smash against the back of his head.

With a smirk, Grimmjow gently caught Ichigo in his right arm before he could hit the ground.

"You were far too careless in this battle, not to mention the weaklings you were trying to protect which weighed you down. That's why you lost."

"Let me go! Urgh...!" Ichigo groaned when he felt blood trickle down his face and drip from his nose.

"It's lights out for you." The bluenette grinned and pulled the boy close to him for a moment to breathe in his scent before releasing him and then slamming his knee into his stomach.

Breathless and wide-eyed, Ichigo felt like he'd throw up from the sudden pain. It forced him to drop his sword in the sand and he felt his senses fading.

The last thing he recalled before losing consciousness was being tossed over Grimmjow's shoulder and watching as Rukia and Renji's bodies were left carelessly in the desert's unforgiving embrace.


	5. scarred

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter contains non-consensual sexual intercourse. Read at your own discretion.

As patiently as possible, Grimmjow attended a meeting of the Espada that had been called by Aizen shortly upon his return from defeating the Court Guard. Thanks to that victory, he had a new toy to play with. And was he ever excited about it.

The man was hoping this meeting wouldn't last too long, you know, be nice and quick.

Unfortunately, it had carried on for several hours. The bluenette spent most of his time shaking his leg in anticipation of its conclusion, but this was getting ridiculous. How he hated playing the waiting game…

Upon glancing out one of the large windows across the room, he saw that it was getting dark outside. Being in the presence of the other Aizen, let alone the other Espada, was not among his plans for the night.

Gingerly, Aizen put down his cup of tea on its saucer and then looked around the meeting table at his subordinates, "I hope everyone found the tea to their liking. It was made from some of the finest plants in the lands far to the west."

"Past the Seireitei, correct?" Szayel-Apporo asked curiously.

"That's correct. I scheduled them to imported while I was away and I'm glad they made it here in time for my arrival." the brunette man said sincerely. He could talk about tea all day, if permitted.

Cerulean eyes turned to Szayel in hopes that he wouldn't add anything more to this pointless conversation.

"If I'm not mistaken, this tea tasted like it was produced from the Camellia Sinensis plant. The delivery boy must've been quite a brave one, considering he had to go through the Phantom Forest and pass its guardian to get to the Midori Forbidden Distr-"

"What the hell are we talking about?!" Grimmjow asked abruptly, and then slammed his hand on the table.

"I'd hate to agree with an imbecile, but we have greatly digressed from the main point of this meeting, Aizen-sama." Ulquiorra commented.

"You seem impatient, Grimmjow. What's the hurry?" Nnoitora asked before smirking.

"I have things to do and I don't want to sit around talking about tea all damned day long."

" _You_  actually didn't add anything to the conversation… All you did was lose your temper…" Szayel muttered.

"Can it, scientist!"

"I think you're in a hurry because of that little package you were carrying under your arm when you got back earlier!" Yammy said boisterously.

"What?!" Grimmjow asked.

"I saw you come in through the palace gates with something under your arm, hidden beneath a shroud. You weren't as careful about not getting spotted as you thought." The largest Espada smirked.

"Oooooh! What did you bring home this time, Grimmjow!?" Nnoitora asked obnoxiously, "If it's another peasant woman, I'll be sure to have my way with her before you get the chance to! Let's go see her right now!"

"What was that!? I'll tear you apart, Nnoitora!" Grimmjow spoke angrily, letting his possessive nature surface.

"What does it matter what obscure thing Grimmjow brought to the palace. If it's anything like the things he brings, it won't last long." Aaroniero chimed in.

"You must not be aware that he's kept his panther for quite a few years now." Ulquiorra corrected.

He wasn't really defending Grimmjow, he was merely pointing out the obvious.

"Spirit animals don't count! Even I still have mine!" Nnoitora said irritably, "The bottom line is, anything he brings in here will either die and rot or escape from him at some point or another. Everything hates his guts, just like me!"

Grimmjow stood from his seat, "Let's take it outside then! You and me, one on one!"

"You know you don't stand a chance against me. After all, you're only number six!"

"Then why don't you prove that rank you cling to, you pug fugly-"

"If we're finished…" Aizen began calmly before running his hand over his brunette hair, "I think this trivial spat has carried on for long enough."

"Guess that goes to show who the most mature of the Espada are." Zommari commented.

"Indeed." Aizen said agreeably.

The three quietest and highest ranking Espada, Coyote Stark, Baragan Ruizenbān, and Tier Harribel, remained silent the whole time. They were far from interested in quarreling with their counterparts, especially about the matter of Grimmjow's possessions.

Aizen stood from his seat and continued speaking, "One final thing before I conclude this meeting... I'll be going on a trip in a few days so make sure nothing unpleasant befalls the kingdom… again."

"Yes sir." Ulquiorra calmly stated.

"Wouldn't dream of it." Nnoitora grinned, showing his unnaturally long teeth.

"Good, then on that note, you're all dismissed. Have a good night."

Grimmjow was the first to get up from the table. Immediately after stuffing his hands in his pockets, he made his way out of the meeting hall without a word. The others, not nearly as excited about going back to their secluded quarters, did so as well.

Aizen watched them leave and then turned to do so himself. For now, there was no need to concern himself with the affairs of the Espada, especially when there was work for him to do. Getting through Seireitei and then through the lands to the west would be no small feat.

But that key would be his. No matter what.

* * *

Pantera, having just awoken from a very satisfying evening nap on the terrace, stretched and reared his claws. He stood on all fours and stalked into Grimmjow's over-sized bedroom in search of the man. The man had brought in something that smelled of blood earlier and it made the panther wonder if that was to be his dinner tonight.

Grimmjow bringing him a meal would make quite a statement, considering it was the palace maids who often fed him.

As he reached the bottom of the stairs, his blue eyes flashed to the person lying silently on top of the blankets.

The beast walked over to the bed and put his front paws onto it to get a better look. After getting closer to the human, he could immediately tell it wasn't Grimmjow, but it was still a male. One not far advanced in age or battle experience either.

Upon further inspection, Pantera found that even though this boy didn't look like him, he smelled unmistakably of his master.

The scent of battle was heavy on him as well.

He jumped back when this orange-haired person began stirring from his sleep.

Ichigo slowly opened his eyes and felt things come back into focus around him. After sitting up, he noted it felt like the world was spinning and realized it was from the pain in the back of his head.

The boy brought his hand to the source of the pain and was shocked to find that it had been neatly stitched and covered with gauze. Said wrapping went around his head a few times, making him realize that someone had given him medical attention.

The next thing he noticed was that he was no longer in his own Court Guard uniform. He had been changed into something much more relaxed and roomy. But who would have done this?

When he tried putting his feet on the floor to stand, he fell back onto the mattress from the woozy feeling that emerged.

"Ugh…"

Pantera watched cautiously from a distance as the boy lay in place on Grimmjow's bed.

When brown eyes met his own blue ones, it appeared that they were both completely clueless about what was going on.

"Oh no… Rukia and Renji…" the boy said before sitting up once more.

The thought of them being left in the desert with life threatening wounds upset him incredibly. His inability to defeat their attacker and give immediate medical attention only furthered those feelings.

There was no way for him to save them now…

The doors of the room flew open and he turned to see who had opened them.

"You woke up sooner than I expected you to." Grimmjow commented as he took his vest off and tossed it onto Pantera.

The panther backed against the wall from the lack of being able to see and shook the vest off onto the floor before growling angrily at the man.

"Espada…!"

Grimmjow turned to the boy who was yelling at him, "I wasn't talking to you, Court Guard."

"What am I doing here!? Where are my friends!?"

"Those sorry chumps I took down in less than a minute flat? Probably dead and ten feet under by now."

Ichigo immediately stood, in spite of his dizziness, and made to draw Zangetsu. But he found the sword was no longer at his side.

"What did you do with my sword!?"

"I didn't touch your weapon, Court Guard. It's probably buried with your buddies." The bluenette said before walking over to the entrance to his courtyard and looking out to the city.

"Espada! You'll be executed for your crimes!"

"I doubt that. Before anyone can come for you, you'll probably be dead. And no one will be the wiser considering how your friends suffered that fate earlier. No one knows I killed them and no one knows I took you."

Ichigo, realizing the man was right, fell to his knees and punched the floor angrily. Were Rukia and Renji really dead? And his sword. Lying abandoned in the desert too?

"All because of  _you_!" he shouted, "I'll make sure you get what you deserve for this!"

Grimmjow turned from looking outside to the boy on the floor, "Seeing as you're defenseless, I guess I won't punish you… too much."

Brown eyes went wide as the Espada began approaching him, "What do you mean by punish?" he asked.

The cerulean-haired man stopped in front of Ichigo and gazed down at him, "I mean I won't kick your ass too much when you disobey or raise your voice to me, that's what. After all, you're here for an  _extended_  stay."

"Wh-"

Before Ichigo could say anything more, Grimmjow bent down and grabbed him by the arm to force him to stand. He smirked and pulled the boy out to the courtyard.

"This seems like the perfect escape, doesn't it? Nice and open, right?" he asked.

When the boy didn't respond, he gripped his arm tighter, causing Ichigo to try and pull away.

Grimmjow let him go and watched with a smirk as he sprinted over to the stone railing.

Ichigo stopped against the edge and glanced to the city below, noting how far down it was. But he had to get away. So he climbed up onto the railing and made to jump, but was forcibly repelled by an electric shockwave that sent him flying back to the ground.

"What the-"

"That's Aizen's own Reiatsu enforced shield. It surrounds the entire palace, including the quarters of the Espada. Even I, as powerful as I am, can't break through it."

Ichigo turned to the man, "You're kidnapping me!?"

" _Kidnapped_. You've already been caught. And call it whatever you want. I'm going to teach you a little thing called respect for authority…" the man grinned wickedly before stalking over to Ichigo and picking him up. He walked him back into the room, full of anticipation and excitement.

The orange-haired boy, unsure of what else to do, elbowed Grimmjow harshly in the temple which caused the man to callously drop him onto the hard floor.

After looking around, Ichigo saw the doorway Grimmjow had entered through earlier so he got up and dashed for it. But when he reached the doors, they didn't budge the slightest inch.

It didn't make sense because there weren't even locks to hold them shut.

"And that's my Reiatsu sealing that door shut. Escape is impossible for you."

Ichigo turned and became wide-eyed when Grimmjow's fist collided with his stomach. He fell forward and was surprised when the Espada caught him and gently put his hand on his back.

The last time he was this close to Grimmjow he was knocked unconscious, so he was fearful about what would happen now.

"I hit you with the hilt of my sword earlier. Didn't want you getting blood all over my quarters so when I arrived I got a medic to look at you and patch you up. She also gave you a bath and a clean change of clothes too. I _could_  have let you bleed to death but I didn't."

"Oh, well how nice of you…!" the boy said sarcastically as he panted against the man's arm.

Grimmjow effortlessly hoisted Ichigo over his shoulder and walked him over to the bed before roughly tossing him onto it.

Pantera, who had been watching the two closely, turned and walked to the stairs that led up to the terrace. He already knew where this was going.

But before he reached the top of the stairs, he glanced back at Ichigo calculatingly. This human seemed much stronger and unwilling compared to the palace concubines. It appeared as though his master had found himself a new, more defiant prey.

He continued out to the terrace and lay down against the metal railing before closing his blue eyes.

After crawling onto his bed, Grimmjow moved closer to Ichigo.

"If you let me go now, I'm sure your punishment won't be as severe as the death penalty."

"I already told you it doesn't matter. I'm keeping you here until I've broken you. I defeated you on the battlefield, and now I'll dominate you in the bedroom."

Ichigo backed away slowly, "What?! Stay away from me, Espada!"

"Espada? You called my actual name earlier when I was killing that little friend of yours. How'd you learn it by the way?"

"It doesn't matter,  _Grimmjow_. You need to stop this. Nothing good will come of what you're doing."

Ignoring the boy's words, Grimmjow crawled over him, "Get out of those clothes." He said heavily.

Orange eyebrows knitted downward, "Absolutely not. I'm not into guys."

As calmly as he could, the larger man grabbed Ichigo by the arm and snatched him closer, "I don't recall asking your preference. Do what I say or it'll get really ugly for you really quick."

"Then let it. I'm not engaging in such a demeaning, abominable act with someone demented and evil like you."

Without remorse, Grimmjow ripped the shirt off of the boy and slowly took note of his bare, unscathed skin. It looked like his hands would glide smoothly across it, if he were ever to attempt such a thing.

"You got me pretty good earlier today, kid. For someone with no scars of his own, you're more skilled than I expected." He said, grabbing Ichigo's hand and pressing it firmly against his new, dark scar.

For just an instant, Ichigo allowed himself to feel sorry for this man. With his hand forcibly pressed to it, he noted the soft texture the scar held. Something like this wouldn't normally be this pleasant to the touch. Was his thick, armor-like skin already completely healed?

Grimmjow released the boy's hand, but Ichigo did not pull it away. He held it in place for a moment, noting the odd sensation now rising in his lower gut, before he ran it along the large scar slowly. One of the feelings he recognized immediately was admiration. Even for his enemy, Grimmjow was tough. That Getsuga Tensho was fired with the intent of slashing him in half, yet here he was, still intact and only sporting a scar from it.

Before he allowed himself to succumb to regret for his actions, he remembered Rukia and Renji, two of his closest comrades, who were forever lost to him and everyone back in Seireitei.

That was when he used Grimmjow's own chest to push himself away.

"Get away from me! You didn't get a fraction of what you deserved for what you did, Espada! This won't go well for you in Seireitei!"

"Fuck the Seireitei kingdom. And fuck your little friends too." The man responded coldly, before pulling Ichigo close and ripping his pants and undergarments off.

Ichigo, now exposed to the world, quickly covered his privates.

"I'm not interested in that, fool." Grimmjow said before removing his own bottoms. His penis was erect and a look of lust glimmered in his cerulean eyes. It was clear he wanted to mate, even though this wouldn't be for a reproductive cause. "Fight me and you'll never have to worry about your manhood again. I'll rip out your genitals and feed 'em to Pantera before you can even blink." He continued seriously.

A loud roar from the upstairs terrace further proved his point.

"You'll pay for this. I swear it, Grimmjow Jaegerjaques!"

"Say my name again in pain when I'm inside you."

Ichigo, not knowing how else to react, closed his eyes and turned away when Grimmjow pressed himself against his unwelcoming hole.

Grimmjow looked down to the boy and wasn't entirely sure if he should punish him for closing his eyes. After looking him over a few times, he decided against it. As long as he kept those eyes closed, he'd be his to do whatever he pleased with.

But the moment he opened them and showed signs of being conquered, it'd be game over for him.

Ichigo gripped the sheets tightly and groaned as Grimmjow slowly forced his way further into him. It was painful. This man clearly had no intention of making this a more bearable experience for him.

"I like that you're taking it like a man. And unlike the concubines, you're not afraid to let your face show how discomforting this is for you." The Espada said with a grin after going as far as he could have in the boy's unbelievably tight hole.

"Urgh…" Ichigo groaned uncomfortably.

Grimmjow was enjoying this more than he realized he would. Finally, he could prove how powerful and dominating he was to someone who he recognized as a worthy opponent. And this particular Court Guard deserved every bit of what he was getting.

"You know, if you open your eyes, at least you'll have something pleasant to look at." He taunted as he began moving in and out of the boy rhythmically.

When Ichigo did not show his deep brown eyes, the bluenette smirked.

Yes. If he kept them closed, then he wouldn't have to die. He could live in the honor that was having sex with Grimmjow forever.

And right now, forever was the perfect word to describe just how long the Espada wanted this pleasure he was feeling to last. It was truly unlike anything he had ever felt before. Much better than just imagining it, that was for sure.

He sped up and slowed down his pace sporadically, simply enjoying everything about this moment. The noises their bodies made as they collided, the look of discomfort and disgust on the Court Guard's face, the musky smell in the air, and most importantly, the tightness of the hole he was plummeting into.

"Nyhaah…" he exhaled deeply before burying his face in the pillows next to Ichigo's head. This inevitably closed the space between them, which allowed him to feel the other's fast heartbeat and panting. His smaller body rising and falling in rhythm with his own.

For some reason, he didn't feel that this closeness between them was a problem. It felt nice, being able to physically feel a heart beating unnaturally fast.

Needing to draw out more reactions, he sped up his pace and was rewarded with the displeased noises the other began emitting. It was amazing, completely intoxicating, dominating him in this way. And it would stay that way until the boy showed signs of submission.

Ichigo opened his eyes and looked out through the courtyard doorway, trying desperately to distract himself from this detestable act he had been forced into. The moon was shining brightly in the night sky and illuminating everything its light touched.

And in the distance, he could see on the horizon his home.

Seireitei. It had lost three valuable warriors on this day. Hopefully his other friends were safe and sound in their homes tonight. Hopefully they'd never ever come into contact with this brutal man.

His distracting thoughts worked until Grimmjow increased his already fast pace, making this even more painful. Ichigo adjusted himself to at least relieve some of the discomfort, which earned a growl from Grimmjow. Somehow, the Espada kept his speed for much longer than what seemed humanly possible.

"Ugh…" the larger man moaned loudly and quickly pulled out of the boy beneath him, "Drink this down, Court Guard."

With a shocked expression, mainly because he had assumed his torture was finally over, Ichigo stared at the man above him, "Excuse me?"

"Hurry up and get to it!"

"No, I won't-"

Before he could finish his retort, Grimmjow grabbed him by the throat, "Oh, you're going to."

He forced Ichigo down on him and released his essence into his mouth before sighing a breath of relief.

Ichigo was unable to swallow the fluids because of the hand tightly gripping his throat. Before he could spit them out, Grimmjow brought his lips to his which caused him to jump.

When all the contents had been taken from his mouth, Ichigo stayed nervously in place, his lips still pressed against Grimmjow's.

The man's blue eyes were closed as he savored his own taste and swallowed it down.

Was this romantic? Or was it just wrong? Despite the questions forming in his head, he didn't pull away from the man and didn't want to for some reason.

When he lifted his hand to rest it on Grimmjow's large back for whatever misunderstood purpose, he stopped when the man opened his blue eyes.

The bluenette pulled away and wiped his lips with his hand then spoke, "Get some sleep, Court Guard. I won't be as pleasant tomorrow night." He said before crawling to the other side of the bed and getting under the covers.

Ichigo sat in place, staring blankly into space before turning to look at Grimmjow's back. This wasn't romantic in the slightest. It was him being taken advantage of, simple as that. And this was something he'd never be able to get this out of his head, ever.

But the question of why he expected it to be romantic still remained. Was it because it was sex? Something generally understood, among consenting parties, to be that way?

He brought his hand up and lightly touched his lips for a moment. Grimmjow had kissed him. Even if it was to… reclaim what was his… he  _had_  kissed him. His lips had touched his and that was something he hadn't expected, especially considering how malicious the Espada had been to him up until now. Although, he didn't seem to care about having kissed him that seeing as how he had wiped his lips and was now going to sleep.

With a bitter taste in his mouth, Ichigo slowly crawled under the covers and closed his eyes tight.

Rukia and Renji were gone forever, his sword abandoned along with them. And now he was being held as a sex slave for a psychotic maniac? This had to be a nightmare. It just  _had_  to be. Maybe when he woke up in the morning, everything would go back to normal again.

At least, he hoped.

…

Pantera crept stealthily into the room once he knew Grimmjow and his new guest were fast asleep. As he made his way down the stairs, his eyes were glued on the human sleeping on the right side of the bed. This was certainly a new development.

The thing he wondered above all else was what was so special about this one that he was able to sleep in the bed instead of being kicked out or even made to sleep outside?

Walking over to the boy, he sniffed him a few times and was surprised at what he found. The human no longer smelled like anything apart from Grimmjow's powerful scent. Even his Reiatsu was riddled with traces of his master's.

It was surprising because even with the palace concubines, Grimmjow's Reiatsu never seemed to mingle with theirs. Not even a little. He could always tell when they were leaving because when they did, their personal energy signals faded the further away they got.

With one last glance at the orange-haired boy, Pantera quietly exited the room as if he had never entered in the first place.

It was clear that even in this short time of having him his master was already growing fond of the boy.


	6. a certain charm

Bare-skinned and sweaty…

Ichigo, now waking from his sleep, slowly opened his eyes and stayed completely still despite how uncomfortable he was. After looking around, he could tell this was not the hotel room he'd been sharing with Renji or his room back home.

The boy sat up and stared at the unfamiliar bed and the velvet sheets wrapped around him. Then he looked at the white stone walls and the furniture. His hopes for everything that had happened to have just been a terrible nightmare were crushed.

After turning to his right, he saw that Grimmjow wasn't on the other side of the bed. Actually, after searching for his Reiatsu, he found that the man wasn't even in the area.

That was a relief of sorts. Perhaps he could find some way to escape while he was gone.

Before putting his feet on the floor, Ichigo made sure he was still functional on all ends. His head was still hurting from the hit he took, but it wasn't anything he couldn't get through. The pain that was getting to him emanated from his lower backside. As a minor medic, he knew from the moment Grimmjow had pressed against him that he'd have to deal with some discomforting after effects.

But he could get through it. If nothing else, his will to prove he could take whatever Grimmjow threw at him was what drove him to stand up and begin walking around.

Immediately, his nakedness made him uncomfortable, even though he was the only one in the room. The doors to the courtyard were open so that only furthered his want to find something to wear.

He glanced around the room and his eyes landed on a large closet.

"Perfect." He commented before walking over to it.

It came as no surprise that these were all Grimmjow's clothes, but some of the things in the closet were... unexpected to say the least. He picked a gray sleeveless vest and a pair of dark blue fitted shorts to wear. After putting them on and seeing how tight they were, he couldn't resist imagining the bluenette in these. And the thought made him giggle.

"Grimmjow Jaegerjaques in shorts…"

The boy stopped and shook his head of the thoughts. This was no time to be thinking of the Espada in any way but repulsively.

Ichigo walked across the room to the doors that were sealed by Grimmjow's Reiatsu. After pressing himself against them once more to see if they really were sealed, he found that their status had not changed since yesterday. Grimmjow must have resealed them when he left.

"No use wasting time here then…" the boy commented.

He turned to the left and stared out to the courtyard. The next thing to check was Aizen's force field. That one was so powerful it had repelled him with a jolt of electricity.

After stepping out of the quarters and into the sunlight, Ichigo cautiously walked down the stone path and approached the edge of the railing. Although it was invisible, he wasn't foolish enough to think the force field was gone and throw himself against it a second time.

The boy's brown eyes moved from staring at the large town to the higher ground on which he stood on. Then he got an idea.

Without hesitation, he picked up a handful of pebbles and tossed them in the direction of the hospital.

They stopped midair and, as expected, were violently repelled by a yellow bolt of electricity.

Trying to figure out its origin, configuration, and limitations, he did not look away from the force field until it disappeared again. It was unlike any Kido he'd ever seen Rukia use, or even her more skilled older brother, Byakuya. It was as if Aizen had created a brand new one for the sole purpose of protecting the palace.

His reasoning in doing so wasn't entirely understood by Ichigo, considering that Los Noches and Seireitei were at peace now.

"Why would he keep such a powerful shield up if we're on peaceful terms…?" the boy asked aloud.

Was he planning something…?

* * *

At hearing a disruption in Aizen's force field, Pantera woke from his sleep and yawned.

Grimmjow had been gone since earlier and he'd left that human in his bed. After using his own fine-tuned senses, he felt that even though Grimmjow was out, his Reiatsu still enveloped in that boy.

Again, he wondered what was so special about him. Thinking back, the beast considered that maybe they met in a similar way to how he and Grimmjow had met.

Flashback

_Pantera, just a few days old, stalked through the golden sands of the daunting desert in search of his mother. She had left him just a while ago and he was in need of her company, as are most young._

_After climbing to the top of a large sand dune, he found her. She was battling a deep black, tow-tailed scorpion that was nearly three times her size. And she was losing terribly._

_No matter how much she scratched, or what leg she attacked, the monstrous beast retaliated by slamming its pincers against her, knocking her back through the sand. But she would not give up. Pantera wondered why she wouldn't just surrender and fall back._

_To a newborn cub barely able to see, this was absolutely horrifying. There was nothing he could do but watch as she was defeated by it. After she slipped up, she was run through by both scorpion's telson*._

_Pantera's blue eyes watched as the monster held her in place with its pincers and stabbed her in the back repeatedly, injecting her with its venom over and over. Effortlessly, it lifted her into the air dropped her into its dark, cave-like mouth._

_Once it swallowed, its black eyes caught sight of the panther's cub just a few meters away. It immediately charged, all six legs moving supernaturally fast, and then leaped into the air._

_The sight was enough to cause Pantera to turn and try to run in fear. But he was just getting used to walking so speeding up was very hard for him._

_Just as he was about to be crushed to death, he heard an echoing clang above him._

_He turned and saw a cerulean-haired man with a pure white sword holding off the monster in midair. Both of its pincers were being blocked by his enchanting sword and he didn't seem to be giving in._

_Suddenly, he vanished and then reappeared behind the scorpion._

_Both it, still suspended in air, and Pantera watched as he brutally cut both of its tails off and they fell to the ground._

_The scorpion hissed in agony, but the man was not finished with it yet. He jumped right above its back and aimed an open palm at it. After slivers of red light appeared at the center of his palm, he fired something bright and echoing through its head._

_The scorpion's large corpse fell to the ground, and when it landed it created a large gust of sand._

_Pantera was about to be consumed by it until the man sped down, picked him up, and then dashed a great distance away._

_When he stopped, he carelessly dropped Pantera onto the ground and stared down at him with complete disdain._

" _What a worthless animal you are! I should have just let you get crushed." And with that, he turned and began walking in the direction of Los Noches, his home._

_Pantera watched him in shock as his footsteps in the sand grew in number. He was able to understand this warrior's words, just as he'd been able to with his mother. Even though he was a humanoid creature, his words had registered perfectly to him._

_He began calling out as best he could to the man, but it appeared as though he could not hear him. He tried again and again, but to no avail. Afraid of being alone, he tried one last time with much more vigor. This time, when he opened his mouth, a large gust of clear energy flew in the direction he shouted to, knocking the man face forward into the sand and sending him sliding through it._

_Grimmjow dug his face out of the sand, pushed himself off the ground with the arm that was not buried, spit out a mouthful of sand, and then turned to stare angrily at the animal._

" _Why you little-!"_

_He squinted when the cub started walking briskly towards him._

_After digging his other arm out of the sand, he stood and casually brushed himself off. There was no need to worry himself with the strange creatures of this desert. His kingdom awaited its fifth prince's return._

_He ignored the cub and kept walking in the direction of Los Noches._

" _I came to thank you…!"_

_Blue eyes went wide and Grimmjow whipped around. The panther cub was behind him, but there was no one else in the area._

" _Where did that voice-"_

" _Don't leave me alone out here…! Can I come with you?"_

_Grimmjow stared in awe at the cub. It was talking to him. And he understood what it was saying!_

" _What the hell are you?" he asked, before bending down and grabbing the thing by the ears questionably._

" _Please stop. That hurts… You're not nice like my mother, but I don't want to be alone. Can I come with you?"_

" _Che! As if! You're weak! I don't need a weakling following me around. Get lost!" the man shouted the last part in Pantera's face._

" _But I can get strong! I promise I won't disappoint you! So don't leave me alone out here…"_

_Grimmjow stood and turned away from the panther cub. Then he continued walking without a word._

_Pantera sat in place and watched him, completely crestfallen. But then the man turned and stared over his shoulder, "Are you coming or what? I don't have all day to play around with you."_

_Eagerly, Pantera stood and followed this strange warrior. And it was during his walk to Los Noches that he learned to run, because the man was not willing to slow down for him._

_One of the strangest people caught his attention when they arrived at their destination. He was pale and had green eyes. The thing he enjoyed most about him was that he was smart and he was also able to get under Grimmjow's skin through sheer condescension._

" _That's your spirit animal, you dimwitted buffoon. That's why you understood him. Had you left him in the desert, you wouldn't have had the chance to get another." The pale man stated._

" _What do I need a spirit animal for anyway? I'm strong enough on my own!"_

" _Grimmjow, I thought I discussed this with everyone a long time ago. Spirit animals give you an immense boost in strength and Reiatsu when you're in yourResurrección state." A brown-haired man said as he entered the room._

" _Is that so…?" Grimmjow asked. He looked down to the cub, "Well then, I'm Grimmjow Jaegerjaques. You'll be serving me from now on."_

" _If that creature had half a brain he'd head for the hills right now. But since he is_ your _spirit animal, I'll assume he's just as dense as you are..." The pale man commented and then left the room._

_Pantera looked up to Grimmjow, "Thank you for saving me! I won't let you down!"_

End Flashback

Over the few years he'd been with him, Pantera had grown to both love and loathe Grimmjow. His strength had always been something to admire, but after seeing what else the man was capable of, he'd grown to respect him. On the other hand, his attitude could have used a major adjustment. In actuality, they did not get along too often, but considering Pantera owed him his life, he supposed that he could be a good spirit animal for him.

Perhaps something similar was going on with him and the new human. Why else would he be here? What other purpose could he possibly serve?

Lethargically, Pantera got up, stretched his long body out, and then entered the room from his favorite sleeping spot on the upstairs terrace.

His timing was perfect.

The orange-haired human had just entered from the courtyard, and Grimmjow was coming in from the front doors.

Immediately, Ichigo turned to Grimmjow and squinted, "Are you going to let me go today?"

"Hadn't planned on it. Pantera, it's bath time." Grimmjow said, disregarding Ichigo's presence.

"Don't you ignore me, Espada!" the orange head exclaimed.

Pantera, seeing that this could only end badly, turned and quickly started to go back up the stairs to the terrace. Unfortunately, he was caught.

Ichigo stared in shock. Grimmjow had used a Sonído to catch him.

"You're not getting out of it this time!" The bluenette said with a smirk.

A growl emanated from the beast as Grimmjow carried him to the bathroom. Before he entered, the man turned to Ichigo, "You come too."

At first, Ichigo was appalled. Then he remembered what happened last night and felt tainted with guilt. Perhaps a bath would be a good idea.

He followed the other two into the bathroom and was surprised at what he found.

Unlike any bathroom he had ever seen before, this one was gargantuan in size. A large, pool-like bath tub resided in the center, one of the walls was nothing but mirror, in one of the corners there was a private area that had a shower, and finally, the ceiling was glass which allowed him to see the multitude of clouds up in the blue sky.

" _This is what royalty is used to…?"_  he thought.

His brown eyes went wide when Grimmjow undressed and cannonballed into the large pool of hot water in the center of the room. He came back up and shouted out excitedly before slicking his hair back and wiping his eyes.

The scar he received was still very prominent on his torso, momentarily making Ichigo feel bad. But then he remembered why he had done it.

Rukia and Renji had been slain by his blade. And that was something he'd never be able to forgive the Espada for.

"Gonna join me, Court Guard?" Grimmjow asked.

"My name's Ichigo Kurosaki! Not Court Guard you ass!"

"Well, Mr. Kurosaki, are you gonna join me?"

"Piss off!" Ichigo said angrily, before walking over to the private shower.

He undressed quickly, not self-conscious anymore since last night, and then stepped in.

When he turned the water on and it hit his skin, it felt like he was being cleansed. The sin of last night being washed down the drain.

Last night was something he'd never expected to befall him. He'd been dominated in the worst possible way by a manic soldier who seemed to care for nothing but himself and his own desires. Someone like that deserved the death penal-

*SPLASH*

Ichigo jumped and turned around to open the shower door. He stuck his head out to see what had happened.

Grimmjow was chasing Pantera around the room, as naked as the day he was born. As he ran he carelessly knocked decorations, dry towels, and other items into the water. The look on his face was one of eager determination as he sped after the panther. But somehow, this look seemed much more appealing than the ones Ichigo had seen before.

After catching the panther in a bear hug, the Espada jumped into the water and held him down.

Upon seeing that, Ichigo stepped out of the shower and was about to yell at him for treating the animal so cruelly. Then Pantera's tail shot up from under the water and hit Grimmjow so hard in the face it seemed like he had punched him with it.

It effectively forced the man to release his grip on him and he swam to the shallow end before climbing the stairs.

"You're getting a bath!" the bluenette shouted while rubbing his left cheek.

Pantera growled back and then he and Grimmjow had a spat. It seemed like they were arguing back and forth. Like, literally back and forth. But that wasn't possible, right? Pantera was an animal!

For a moment, Ichigo blushed and allowed himself the pleasure of admiring Grimmjow. He was a very appealing man, despite how psychotic he was. Perhaps if he wasn't always sadistically smirking, he'd be easier on the eyes.

He had a certain charm about him that was hard to miss if you were just staring at him. It helped that they weren't currently clashing blades and at each other's throats. Seeing him with that panther offered a completely different perspective. He was aggressive on all levels, that didn't seem to change, but this behavior was much more playful if anything.

That white, bone-like mask on his right cheek puzzled him. And for the first time, he actually noticed the hole in Grimmjow's lower abdomen. The other pale Espada he'd seen had the same features, just in different locations.

Was that customary for them?

Grimmjow noticed Ichigo staring at him and gave him the finger before diving back in the water.

The boy shook his head in response. Surely he wasn't actually finding another male attractive… Was he? Especially not one who had mercilessly taken Rukia and Renji down… Right?

"Argh!" Deciding to distract himself, the orange head grabbed a towel and soap then walked slowly over to the panther who watched him closely. He lathered the towel and then cautiously lifted it, which earned a growl from the beast, but he continued nonetheless.

Gently, he pressed it to Pantera's fur and scrubbed.

Surprisingly, he was not retaliated against. In fact, he was able to even get a low purr from the animal.

"You're pretty good at that…" Grimmjow commented from behind, causing Ichigo to jump.

"Well you can't just be forceful all the time."

The bluenette's blue eyes watched as the boy scrubbed Pantera. Normally, no one could get this close to the beast. Even he had moments when it seemed impossible to touch him.

When a strong hand grabbed his arm, Ichigo turned. "Wh-"

"It's time for some entertainment."

Pantera stood and shook himself dry before stalking in the opposite direction of the two. Honestly, Grimmjow was like a sex animal… And he did not intend to be near him when he smelled of mating.

Forcefully, the Espada put Ichigo down on the ground and opened his legs to make room for himself.

"Ugh! Get off of me!" the boy demanded angrily.

"Only when I'm finished with you." The man breathed out heavily.

He positioned himself perfectly, but stopped just before he entered the boy. Perhaps, since they had both just bathed, oral sex would suit the situation better.

That way he could save the real fun for later tonight.

After grabbing Ichigo by the chin, he forced him down on his erect member.

Initially, Ichigo felt like he was being choked. At some point during this forced fellatio session though, Grimmjow let up on him. Only just enough so that the head of his penis wasn't hitting his uvula.

Maybe his words about forcefulness hadn't gone in one ear and simply come out of the other.

To thank him for making this more bearable, though he didn't understand why considering this was Grimmjow's fault in the first place, Ichigo did his best at this unfamiliar activity. It wasn't too hard to manage. All he had to do was move his mouth up and down along the shaft, licking the head to give some pleasure from time to time.

The reason he wanted to please Grimmjow at all was unknown to him. He assumed it was because after actually looking at him, he'd realized how appealing to the eyes he was… when he wasn't being a maniac that is…

When his actions earned a moan from the other, he couldn't help but open his eyes and look up. Grimmjow had thrown his head back in pure ecstasy. The cracking of his toes meant this was literally toe-curling good for him.

Against his better instincts, Ichigo brought his hand up and rested it on Grimmjow's scar like he'd done last night. It was smoother than ever now. It was enough to make him run his hand along it, which surprisingly aroused him.

Immediately, he removed his hand. It was a sin to be aroused by another man and Court Guards had always been taught that sinners go to Hell. So if Grimmjow was going to burn, he'd burn alone.

"Shit…" the bluenette panted as he came.

Ichigo spitefully swallowed all of it. At least that'd be his way of getting back at the man for this, since he seemed to enjoy his own taste so much.

When Grimmjow pulled the boy up and pressed his lips to his swollen ones, he was unpleasantly surprised to find that Ichigo had already swallowed his essence.

He callously pushed the boy away and wiped his lips before standing and leaving the bathroom.

Pantera saw the door open and took his chance to leave as well.

But Ichigo sat still on the floor. He brought his fingers to his lips and blushed. The strong taste of Grimmjow was still present in his mouth, and it wasn't necessarily unpleasant.

A sudden feeling got him in the gut. He shook his head to relinquish any thoughts that weren't malicious towards the Espada. He had killed Rukia and Renji, and for someone who had done that, there was no room for pleasant thoughts.

But no matter how much he pushed them away, the thoughts of Grimmjow that weren't so full of contempt seemed to keep creeping back into his head.

* * *

*Telson – The stinger. The telson consists of the vesicle, which holds a pair of venom glands, and the hypodermic aculeus, the venom-injecting barb.


	7. in velvet he drowns

In addition to Ichigo's first day spent in the Sexta Espada's quarters, another three were added. Thus, today marked the fourth day he'd been kept in captivity.

Each day before, Grimmjow returned late and took all he could from the boy before they went to sleep. It had become their routine. Enjoyable for one, but conflicting and disorienting for the other.

Early each morning, Grimmjow left to hunt out past the kingdom, or meet with Aizen and the other Espada, or taunt the townspeople, kick a puppy, or do whatever the other things were that he did during the day. He'd return late in the evening and bathe for a while, on occasion, and at the end of the night, he nearly devoured Ichigo with his overly dominant, sexual tendencies.

It had gotten to the point where Ichigo wasn't as bothered with being forced into sex as he'd been on his first night, but he still thought it was still a repulsive act to engage in.

After his first arousal in the bathroom, he'd slowly began coming to terms with the fact that he found the cerulean-haired Espada attractive, even though it went against what he'd been taught as a Court Guard. They were pretty faithful to their holy book, and were instructed that people who deviated from the right path would find themselves in the deepest, darkest, most unbearable world in the afterlife.

The attractiveness Ichigo admitted Grimmjow had helped him along during intercourse, but being dominated in such a way was still sinful and demoralizing to him as a man. He was more than certain that the other man's soul would perish when he died, but as long as he fought the recurring pleasure, he assumed he'd be okay.

Currently, he was cleaning the Espada's quarters to the best of his abilities. Cleaning had never been a duty of his back home thanks to his meticulous little sister, Yuzu. But as best he could, he'd swept, mopped, made the bed, cleaned the massive bathroom, and even washed and folded the laundry.

What else did he have to do, right?

Being held captive was not the most entertaining thing that had ever befallen him, so he made good use of his time as he'd always been taught.

After most of the cleaning was done, Ichigo walked out to the courtyard and was able to observe the décor, actually taking note of it now that he wasn't avidly trying to escape this place. There were white desert flowers lining the lattice*, which stood just a few inches away from the stone walls, and the grass was actually cut and looked neat against the sidewalk. There was no way Grimmjow had commissioned or done any of this. It must have been Aizen's doing.

Off in the distance, quite a ways off from the kingdom, brisk movement caught Ichigo's attention and he spotted his captor dashing through the golden sand under the warm light of the sun. It was quite a scene really.

Grimmjow was in the midst of an intense battle with two brown scorpions that were much larger than any building he had ever seen before.

"The rumors about the creatures that live outside the kingdoms were true…" he commented under his breath.

All his life he'd heard that the size of the things that dwelled in the areas past the kingdoms were beyond comprehensible, but he'd never actually seen it for himself so he assumed they were just that:  _rumors_.

With the report about the spider's attack, he assumed he'd be able to see at least one of their carcasses, but unfortunately, they had been disposed of before he arrived.

He sighed, "This is so… boring… There's nothing else to do around here but clean."

With a look of disinterest, the boy turned to go back inside.

More than anything, he wished that Grimmjow would just come back early so he wouldn't be so alone here. The panther the man kept as a pet didn't seem to be the most inviting, so he usually kept his distance from it. The feeling was apparently mutual because it didn't seem to be interested in being anywhere near him either.

A sudden red flare lighting the sky caught the boy's attention. He turned to see that Grimmjow had fired one of his Ceros through both of the scorpions at once, killing them instantaneously.

"Nice!" He said excitedly.

Immediately though, he shook his head to remind himself that the Espada didn't deserve any kind of praise. A variation of that Cero had been what he'd fired at Rukia and Renji, and that was the only reason he had defeated him.

" _Cheating bastard… Next time, there won't be anyone for me to protect. I'll defeat him for sure and never lose anyone else again…!"_

With that determined thought in mind, Ichigo left the courtyard and went back inside. Maybe he could find something else to do while waiting for some company.

* * *

For the majority of the day, and until late in the evening, Pantera stayed out on the terrace in solitude bathing in the sun's warm glow. He had no desire to be bothered with the captive human, and Grimmjow was still gone.

However, when a familiar, tasty scent reached the kingdom, the beast fought the urge to get up and break the seal on the doors to find his master.

He was approaching from the desert after his long day of hunting. The smell of scorched scorpion meat was getting thicker and thicker in the air. It filled his nose to the brim, nearly overriding his other senses in the process. The human may not have been able to smell the heavy scent, but mixed with Grimmjow's, it was all Pantera could do to bury his nose in his fur and curl up into a ball to resist it.

His avoiding of the overpowering smells didn't last too long, though.

Without any control over himself, the panther shot up and dashed through the room, past the now frightened captive, and out to the courtyard. He put his front paws on the railing and looked down through the city below. Under the streetlights lighting the roads, and through the crowds of townspeople, he spotted Grimmjow without effort. He was carrying the main body of one of the oversized desert scorpions, drawing quite a lot of attention to himself in the process.

This was certainly a treat.

Palace food from the maids was good for humans, but every once in a while, Pantera felt that it was nice to be an animal and eat freshly hunted meat.

Grimmjow must have been in a good mood to have brought something home, the animal noted.

Ichigo slowly walked out to the courtyard, but kept his distance from the menacing panther. He was curious about what made him sprint through the room the way he did. Upon looking over the railing, he saw what it was.

Grimmjow was entering the palace through the front gates with the main body of a scorpion on his back.

"At least he was smart enough to cut off the tail…"

Pantera got down, walked quickly past Ichigo back into the room, and waited patiently at the door. His tail swayed back and forth in anticipation of the delicacy he'd come to love.

The boy stared after the beast for a moment before following him.

He didn't want to seem eager to see the man, so he took a seat on the bed and picked up a book from the night stand and flipped to the third chapter of it. Might as well make it seem believable…

Grimmjow walked through the doors of his quarters and tossed the large carcass on the floor.

"There you go." He said, before closing the doors again and reinstating his Reiatsu barrier.

Pantera jumped onto the shell and broke through it, then he started pulling at the meat.

Ichigo stared at the two in disbelief.

"The hell are you staring at?" Grimmjow asked.

"You're not going to cook that for him?"

"No. I've brought him meat like this without  _COOKING IT_  hundreds of time and he's still alive and kicking."

After putting down the book he had feigned reading, Ichigo stood up and walked over to the stairs that led to the terrace. Cerulean eyes followed him as he made his way outside and picked up some of the firewood.

Ichigo started a fire after mumbling the incantation to Hado 31 and a tiny red flare caught onto the wood. He was far from beginner level when it came to Kido, but he usually did what he could with what he knew of the ones Rukia used.

He stood and walked back into the room then stopped in front of Pantera, who was being unbelievably overprotective of the meat.

"I just wanna help…" he said.

"Go ahead and let him cook it." Grimmjow said with indifference, before taking off his vest.

While Pantera pulled the uncooked meat up the stairs, Ichigo stared intently at the newly revealed hole in Grimmjow's lower abdomen. It brought such mystery to him. What was it? And what exactly was Grimmjow for that matter? He had the attributes of more than just a  _normal_  human…

When the man stepped out of his pants, Ichigo felt himself getting warm, particularly in the cheeks.

"The fuck are you staring at?" the Espada asked, "I'm not ready for you yet."

"Nothing…" the orange head responded irritably, and then followed the panther up the stairs.

Grimmjow kicked his clothes to a corner of the room, walked into the bathroom, and then closed the doors. He needed a bath to get all the damned sand out of his hair.

...

Ichigo watched the color of meat gradually change as it roasted over the intense, bright flames. As they danced on the firewood, he remembered the night he'd spent in Nelliel's company and all the things she had told him.

"I wonder if she even knows I'm still in the kingdom… Or where she is…" he said quietly.

Pantera eyed the boy from across the fire while eating the meat that had already been cooked. Something about this human was very peculiar. It could have been because he was the first male that Grimmjow had ever bedded, let alone kept around to  _keep_  bedding.

The Reiatsu this one had was strong, yet the traces of Grimmjow's were still intertwined with his. They hadn't weakened, they actually seemed to have grown stronger as the nights passed.

After staring at the head of hair on the boy, he couldn't tell why, but it seemed like it was on fire. They were practically the same color as the flames, but he was smart enough to tell that if that were the case, the human wouldn't be sitting in place calmly.

Once all the scorpion meat was cooked and ready for the panther, Ichigo stood up and sighed. The fire needed to be put out, so he walked back inside and filled a cup with water, then returned and poured it over the flames.

"I hope you enjoy that cooked instead of… Cero flavored…" he said to Pantera, and then went back inside.

As soon as he reached the bottom of the stairs, the bathroom doors flew open and a gust of steam flooded the room.

Ichigo stepped back and stared as Grimmjow walked out, still very naked, and stalked past him to his bed. The lights went out when he took a seat on it.

Awkwardly, Ichigo continued on his way over to the bed under the moonlight coming in through the terrace, and sat down with his back to the man.

For a few moments, it was quiet. Too quiet. The kind of quiet where breathing could be heard.

"Grimmjow… I was wondering something…" the orange head said, breaking the silence.

"What is it?" said man asked, and then fell onto his back. The velvet sheets caressed his bare skin, causing him to close his eyes.

Ichigo turned and looked at the Espada's illuminated form, "You're a prince, right?"

"Correction, soon to be king. Don't forget that. If you live long enough, you'll see me be crowned."

A king. Grimmjow a king.

That'd be a kingdom to see.

Based on that display with the beggar child in town a few days ago, he imagined there would be no subjects in such a kingdom. Or, the ones who stayed would probably be felons or outlaws or something.

Grimmjow's lack of interest for the two souls he had here in his quarters proved there would be nothing but solitude in his kingdom.

After thinking about things for a moment, he also realized that no one ever visited this Espada. No one cared, apparently. Even the palace maids left the food at the doors, barely even bothered to knock. But all of that could have been on account of his Reiatsu barrier they were unable to break.

Sympathetically, Ichigo looked Grimmjow's entire form over. For such a handsome fellow, he was quite alone here. And maybe that explained why he was always gone during the day.

The  _only_  reason he could sympathize with him was because while he was training under Urahara, he'd been left to fend for himself for a few days. No one had been allowed to visit or help him during that time. The loneliness was near unbearable. People need other people to survive.

" _Maybe… Maybe I could be a_ little _nicer to him… Maybe all he wants is someone to be waiting for him when he comes back at the end of the day. Although, attacking my friends and kidnapping me wasn't the best way to go about it…"_

"Lose the clothes, Court Guard." The other's raspy voice commanded.

" _Nope, he definitely doesn't deserve my sympathy."_

When he didn't hear his order being carried out, Grimmjow sat up and leaned on his arm, "Did you not hear me?"

"I did. I'm just not in the mood for your bullshit, Espada. I'm ready for you to let me go. I've got people to I need to see back home, and you've got crimes to atone for. Primarily, for killing my friends."

"That shit again? Look, I'm tired; too tired to argue with you. So just get out of the damned clothes or I'll singe everything in the closet so you have to walk around naked from now on!"

After a brief stare down, Grimmjow angrily crawled across his large bed and forced Ichigo down with his hands pinned above his head.

"You never wanna do things the easy way, huh?"

The boy turned away and closed his eyes before his clothes were ripped from his body.

Blue eyes ran across the smaller man's naked form, caressed by the white moonlight. There was no way he could resist this tonight. Even sleep had to wait in line when it came to his need to enforce his strength onto another.

When two fingers jutted into his mouth, Ichigo opened his eyes and glanced up.

For just a moment, he made eye contact with Grimmjow. Those blue orbs of his were still barely visible even through the shadows the moonlight behind him created.

But he hadn't the time to be entranced now. There were two salty fingers in his mouth at the moment, and he wanted them to be removed immediately.

When they began probing around, he nearly bit them. But he knew that'd result in retaliation and, for the sadist he was, Grimmjow would probably do something unnecessarily drastic.

After about a minute, Ichigo felt them being pulled from his mouth. Slowly, he noted.

Grimmjow ran his wet fingers along the tender lips of the boy beneath him a few times before sending them to where they needed to be. Without warning, he stuck them into Ichigo's rear end and moved them in and out, feeling himself getting aroused from the feeling doing this caused.

The orange head endured what he could, having closed his eyes tight from the surprising pleasure this was bringing him, before he felt himself growing stiff downstairs. This was so wrong, but…

The removal of the wet fingers and insertion of the larger man's penis cut him short from any thoughts he could have had.

The first few times the man slid in and out of him were a bit uncomfortable, but it grew more bearable in mere seconds.

"Ah… Yeah…" the Espada moaned, and then braced himself by putting his hands on either side of the boy beneath him.

As they carried on, Ichigo didn't know why, but the want and need to be close to Grimmjow arose. Closer than they were right now, that was. So he tightly wrapped his thighs around the man's waist and let his arms climb up and around his neck.

Forcefully, he pulled Grimmjow closer to him.

Grimmjow was surprised by this, but went along with it nonetheless. He buried his face in the pillows behind the boy's head and sped up his pace. This was admittedly better than any sex he'd had before and that was simply because this Court Guard was no concubine. He was strong. And that was what made him want to keep him around.

Ichigo turned his head and buried his nose in the soft blue hair behind Grimmjow's ear, inhaling his powerful smell.

This felt so… good… Being close like this with someone. Someone so appealing to look at, yet someone so lethal and dangerous at the same time.

Perhaps he was being aroused by the fact that Grimmjow could very well kill him, but he instead chose to keep him alive for his sexual desires. The danger of this situation, yes. That's what was getting him going.

Allowing himself the pleasure he'd previously been avoiding, Ichigo brought his right hand down and forced it between himself and the panting man above him to stroke himself. The other one gripped the dark, soft sheets tightly as he was pounded into. He was nearing his end and he knew it.

Any man in this situation, this close to climax, would give in. That was how he rationalized his actions.

When he heard Grimmjow begin to moan again and speed up, Ichigo lost himself all over their stomachs.

This caught the bluenette's attention as soon as he felt the warm liquid hit him.

He kept his pace, but closed the space between them again when the boy's intrusive hand left the scene. There was something enjoyable about having the cream between them, acting as a sort of temporary adhesive.

"Have you given in to me, Kurosaki…?" he asked, unaware that he had called the boy by his name.

"*Huff* Don't flatter yourself, Espada… *Huff*I still want you to pay for everything you've done…" Ichigo replied as he felt the last of his ejaculation leave him.

The feeling of the boy clenching around him, and the unexpected pleasure of his sperm between their stomachs, is what sent the Espada over the edge. He quickly pulled out and threw his head back as he came, letting himself shoot all over the other.

"Shit…" he moaned, and fell forward.

This was becoming more than he'd expected it to be. And although Kurosaki had come too, his follow-up comment was enough to allow him to be kept alive.

But, he was getting too comfortable with the idea of being dominated. That much had become clear. This wasn't for his pleasure. He was supposed to be dying from shame and humiliation, but unable to do anything about it. Not fucking coming.

After rolling off of the boy, Grimmjow crawled to the other side of the bed and pulled the heavy sheets over himself.

" _I'll have to find a way to make this more uncomfortable for him. Can't have him enjoying this, now can I?"_  He thought before closing his blue eyes.

Ichigo lay in place, breathing heavily and still surprised from his own climax. He looked over and stared at the covered backside of the bluenette, and then he looked down to his wet stomach.

" _What should I do about this mess?"_  he thought, already knowing what the answer to that was.

Once the deed was done, he too pulled the velvet sheets over himself. But he went a step further than the other had and brought them up to his nose. They smelled unmistakably like the sinful act he and Grimmjow had just engaged in, and he couldn't tell if that was a good or a bad thing.

" _Guess we'll both burn together…"_  he lamented.

It couldn't have been as bad as he'd first perceived it to be though, because he fell asleep comfortably with the sheets just beneath his nose, clenched tightly in his hands, and his body facing in the direction of the isolated Espada's.

* * *

*Lattice – a structure consisting of strips of wood or metal crossed and fastened together with square or diamond-shaped spaces left between.


	8. the answer...

Day five of captivity.

After waking up and dressing himself in Grimmjow's casual clothes, Ichigo decided he would spend his day outside in the courtyard. He figured it'd be better than simply moping around inside all day. When he got outside, he sat near the stone railings. From there, he watched the townspeople going about their dayily lives in the city below, the clouds moving about in the blue sky up above, and he also got a glimpse of Grimmjow battling it out with a large, horned snake when it knocked the man into his view.

That was admittedly the best part of his afternoon.

Once he had disposed of the snake, Grimmjow used a Sonído to dash off further into the desert, leaving a large trail of dust behind him in the process.

Ichigo sighed and then looked back down to the people of the kingdom. He saw a few construction workers far off towards the southwestern end walking around on top of a building that seemed like it would be wider than it was tall. Children played near the palace gates, messing with the Arrancar guards and then scurrying off to avoid being scolded. Although many of the townsfolk still seemed depressed, many others seemed lively.

"Guess it was wrong of me to assume that no one here was happy…" the boy said regrettably.

When he turned his attention to the kingdom walls, he looked for the spot where Grimmjow had crashed into and destroyed when he rebounded off of it during their battle. But it wasn't anywhere to be seen. Had the people already repaired it? He couldn't imagine that they were that afraid of the creatures of the desert, even with the Espada here protecting them…

While Grimmjow's actions to date were unforgivable, Ichigo admitted that he was strong. Capable of protecting, if he could see past the desire to destroy. And that power of his, maybe it could one day protect a family...

... Not that  _he_  would want something like that with him...

After all, what he had done to Rukia and Renji… It was just too deplorable to mention. It was something he assumed he'd never be able to get over.

But right now, Ichigo wasn't really concerned with all the terrible things Grimmjow had done. What was  _most_ important was whether or not someone had found Rukia and Renji and taken them to get some medical attention. With as much destruction that had been caused during their battle, there was no way that  _someone_ didn't notice and go to investigate. Especially the people who lived near the part of the kingdom in which they had fought close to.

And his sword, perhaps it too had been discovered. If he could ever get out of this captivity he'd been forced into, he could get the answers to these things himself. There was no doubt in his mind that he could find Zangetsu if he wanted to. A soldier and their sword were forever bound by the conjoining of their Reiatsu, so they would find each other eventually.

"I… I have to get out of here…" the boy said silently. There was no other option than that.

After a few hours of silent contemplation in complete solitude, Ichigo was surprised when Pantera made his way out of the room and he was even more surprised when the animal sprawled himself out next to him.

It was shocking to say the  _least_. This was  _Grimmjow's_  animal. One that initially seemed uninviting and, quite honestly, lethal. Just like his master…

For a few minutes, he watched the beast in awe and fear. It lay beside him, breathing calmly and seemed to trust him enough to actually have its eyes closed.  _"What on Earthia could have brought about this sudden interest?"_  he wondered.

"Hmm..."

Ichigo decided he would test this animal. Cautiously, and feeling his heart beating rapidly as he did so, he reached his hand out to pet Pantera. Just before his hand made contact, the panther opened his bright blue eyes and looked at him. But this look actually wasn't a threatening one. In fact, unlike all the times he'd ever seen him before, this look was one of pure, innocent curiosity.

Gently, he touched Grimmjow's animal, running his hand along its soft, gray fur. After a few seconds of doing so, he actually earned a purr from it.

"I can't believe you're the same panther as the one I've seen up 'til now…" the boy smiled.

Pantera closed his eyes and turned over, signaling for Ichigo to pet his stomach. When the signal was understood and carried out, he purred even louder.

The only reason he trusted this human enough to allow for this kind of contact was because of his master. The man had taken this person in and, unknowingly, bonded with him. If the man who saved his life trusted this human enough to keep him around, then he could do the same.

The fact that this human also had thick traces of Grimmjow's Reiatsu, and his unmistakable smell all over him, only added to his growing trust.

Upon earning the audible purrs from Pantera, Ichigo smiled once more. The way he saw it, this was an accomplishment on his end. He didn't know what brought on this sudden loving behavior, but it only proved to him that he was capable of shining some light wherever he went.

And against his better instincts, he wondered if maybe he was actually meant to be brought here. Maybe he was meant to change Grimmjow for the better. _"Maybe… Just maybe I was meant to be with him all along..."_  He thought.

That idea shocked him to the point where he stopped petting Pantera and withdrew his hand. He forced it back into the dark crevasse of his mind in which it had crawled out from.

There was no way he was meant to be with another man. It went against everything he'd been taught as a Court Guard. Weren't… Weren't men supposed to end up with women? The simple reason being that they were meant to procreate and carry on the human race… Right?

Grimmjow was a man. Or, he was at least something that  _resembled_  a man. He had a penis and testes, and he was obviously capable of producing semen. So Ichigo, with some reservations, considered him a man.

Therefore, he came to the conclusion that what was going on between them was only a temporary thing. The thought of sleeping with another man had never crossed his mind before this experience, but he had no doubt that this was simply a trial of his dedication to the Holy Book and, most importantly, the Holy Being.

Trial or no, though, he knew he was beginning to feel  _something_  for the Espada. His domineering nature, his malicious but sometimes handsome smile, his attractiveness, all of it added up to something unexpectedly desirable. And the fact that he kept a pet, something that seemed fond of him at times, said that he had the ability to take care of something other than himself.

The boy blushed deeply when he thought about his actions during intercourse last night. He had willingly given in to Grimmjow… Wrapped his arms and legs around him and pulled him closer for crying out loud!

This made him realize that he couldn't exactly keep himself in control when the bluenette was around. It was like he released some kind of Pheromone when he wanted to mate, and they were irresistibly powerful. No matter how much he detested having sex with Grimmjow, Ichigo lamented that there was always some strange part of him that enjoyed it... only a little bit, though...

Putting his minor studies of the Holy Book, their fierce battle, Rukia and Renji, and even his kingdom aside, Ichigo allowed himself the pleasure of wondering what actually being with Grimmjow would be like. He looked out to the golden desert bathed in golden sunlight, and then up to the cobalt blue sky. A smile graced his lips and the wind blew gently against him as he thought about all that could be between them.

"Ichigo Kurosaki and Grimmjow Jaegerjaques…"

Pantera glanced up at the boy curiously when he heard him speak his master's name.

The look in the boy's eyes, and the one on his face, it wasn't a scornful one.

"You know Grimmjow better than anyone, right?" Ichigo asked Pantera, "What do  _you_  think of him? And… What do you think I should do? Should I stay with him, or go back home and have him punished for all that he's done? He deserves some punishment, after all..."

The panther offered no response to his questions, which was to be expected. All he did was look up at him.

Ichigo sighed, "It's just… Rukia and Renji… If he hadn't… I would be able to look the other way if he hadn't…"

The boy clenched his fists tightly. He couldn't even bring himself to say it. Something was giving him hope that the duo was still alive. Saying that they had perished would be like giving up that hope, thus losing two of the most important people in his life.

But that was the primary factor that was keeping him from  _wanting_  to see Grimmjow in a pleasant way.

"Maybe… I should tell him everything I've been feeling… And he'd understand, then let me go…"

After hearing what he'd just said out loud, Ichigo laughed.

It was a laughable thing because Grimmjow would probably just laugh at him, or verbally abuse him, or go so far as to attack him.

Ichigo stood up and ran his fingers through his orange spikes before he decided to go back inside. Waiting for Grimmjow to return seemed to fall in line with the rest of the routine they'd begun, so why not do just that?

* * *

When Grimmjow did come back that night, he entered the room, ignored Ichigo completely, and went straight to the bathroom to bathe himself.

The orange-head sat on the bed, wondering if there was something going on. Usually Grimmjow at least offered some kind of greeting, even if it was often times an unpleasant one. His failure to do so tonight made their routine seem... disrupted.

Ichigo waited patiently until the bathroom doors burst open, steam flooded the room, and the Espada stalked over to him.

"Grimmjow… I… Will you let me go, at least for the night? I need to make sure Rukia and Renji are still alive somewhere. We can battle later to see who's strongest, but they need me-"

"Stop saying useless shit, Court Guard." The man said, before he pushed Ichigo down on the bed and forcibly undressed him.

The boy had to fight the urge to take in Grimmjow's moist, muscled form. But it was really hard to avoid when he was  _right there_ , towering over him.

When Grimmjow slid into him, Ichigo closed his eyes tight. He felt so useless. So helpless. There was nothing he could effectively do without Zangetsu's help. His meager Kido skills would be far from enough to take this Espada. And even if he was able to restrain him, the Reiatsu barrier on the door wouldn't just disappear on its own.

"Ah..." the larger man moaned.

"... Urgh..." Ichigo couldn't control his voice.

The more Grimmjow moved in and out of him, the more he felt himself losing control over every part of his body.

The dignity he tried to hold onto vanished when the larger man lifted him, and, without pulling out, shifted their position up to the head of the bed near the pillows.

When he was dropped back down, Ichigo opened his eyes. Seeing this man above him, and being able to pleasure him, surprisingly turned him on. Seemingly without control of his actions, he wrapped his arms around Grimmjow's neck again. This time, he tried something he never imagined he would.

Slowly, he lifted himself and got closer to the Espada, using his powerful neck for support. His lips were so close, all he wanted was to know what it would be like to kiss them. Just once. One time, and he would have the answer he needed about this entire ordeal.

He felt himself growing harder and harder as he got closer to the man.

As soon as their lips touched, Grimmjow near growled from deep in his throat. And as forcefully as possible, he grabbed Ichigo by the neck and slammed him back down onto the bed. He was so disgusted he stopped all movement and stared down at the boy.

"Don't get the wrong idea. That's  _not_  what this is about. My fucking you only proves that you are the worthless scum I initially perceived you as. Try something like that again, and I'll rip your mouth out."

Ichigo stared at the man towering over him in complete shock. He was utterly speechless. Sure, he knew Grimmjow was a mean and heartless person, but this was just-

"Come in, concubine!"

Wide-eyed, Ichigo sat up when the doors opened, "What!?" he shouted.

A woman dressed in a silky black robe came into the room and walked quickly over to the two.

"How can I service you tonight?" she asked when she came up next to the bed. Ichigo blushed and self-consciously covered his privates with his hands.

Grimmjow turned and lifted his right hand, which caused the doors to close again. A '6' lit up in the center of them, indicating that he had just resealed them.

" _They weren't sealed this whole time?!"_  the orange-haired boy thought in shock.

"Pleasure me while I fuck this one."

"Certainly, sir. Your wish is my command." The woman said, before she disrobed and got onto the bed.

Grimmjow grinned eagerly and continued to fuck Ichigo, while the concubine ran her delicate hands along his torso and kissed him all over. She knew better than to try kissing anywhere near his lips though.

The Espada moaned pleasurably in response and increased his speed tremendously. It was almost too much for him to take!

Ichigo kept his eyes closed tight the whole time. This was unbelievably sick. Not only was he being taken against his will, but now someone was here to watch and even join in? Grimmjow was definitely one dark and twisted individual. There was no way he would ever see him as anything other than that.

Thanks to this, he now had his answer. All he needed to do was carry that answer out.

…

When the act was finished, Grimmjow, in all his naked glory, escorted the concubine to the doors and let her leave before he resealed the doors and walked back over to the bed.

He stood and stared at Ichigo for a few seconds. His back was turned to him. That was a good sign if he ever saw one. The thrill was now coming back into this affair.

With a satisfied grin, he threw himself onto the bed and got under the covers. He'd sleep well tonight, he just knew it.

Across the bed, though, Ichigo lay facing the courtyard and was far from falling asleep. The moonlight, again, showed him what he desired most: freedom. It lit up the vast desert, and he could see Seireitei on the horizon again.

He now knew that the only thing he wanted was to escape and go home. Whatever punishment befell Grimmjow at the time of his return, well so be it. It would probably be too good for him anyway.

" _Tomorrow is the time. I'll make my escape then no matter what!"_  The boy thought with a look full of contempt and steadfast determination.


	9. primer signo de amor

Day six of captivity.

Upon waking and finding that Grimmjow was gone, as per usual, Ichigo yawned and then stretched his limbs. As soon as he remembered what had happened last night, the boy immediately got out of bed and headed to the bathroom to cleanse himself of his shame.

Feeling fresh and clean wouldn't hurt. In fact, it could only be beneficial. Today was a big day for him, after all. He was  _going_  to escape from this prison, no matter what it took.

When he got inside the bathroom, he walked over to the tub in the center of it and ran some hot water. Once the tub was filled, he dove into it and swam around a bit. It was a little strange, bathing in the same tub as someone who defeated and violated him on a daily basis, but a hot bath was a hot bath. And he had to admit, this bathroom was one of the most upscale bathrooms he'd ever set foot in.

That was strange though, because while everyone up here in the palace was pampered, the kingdom's working citizens barely seemed to get by on a bare minimum. That was so unfair…

Ichigo wondered if Aizen even cared about the people who united under him as he swam around under the clear water. If he didn't, then was there an Espada who did? If Grimmjow was anything like the rest, then he had his grim answer.

" _These people need someone who would care about them, not just someone who wants to rule them. I wonder if there's an Espada who would be willing to make sacrifices for the betterment of the kingdom…"_  he thought.

Surely, there was a selfless Espada here. There  _had_  to be one.

After emerging for air, the boy noticed Pantera standing at the opposite end of the tub, just watching him.

He must have lost interest though, because he left as soon as Ichigo tried swimming over to him.

"It's so hard to tell what he's thinking…" Ichigo said, and then dove under the water once again.

Once he took a careful look at the pretty white tiles lining the bottom of the tub, he admitted that this ordeal was nice. Well… more precisely, it was nice to be at _least_  held captive by royalty; because that meant he had access to fresh, appetizing food and the living conditions weren't anything to complain about. There were worse places he could have wound up, and worse circumstances he could have been involved in, too. Though, there was no telling what Yamamoto would do once he caught wind of this predicament…

Hopefully it wouldn't trigger a war…

Grimmjow's actions could very well bring about calamities even he probably wouldn't be able to fight his way out of. The selfish fool…

Ichigo resurfaced and then started floating on his back to watch the clouds move about in the sky through the glass ceiling. This bath, this bathroom, this palace… they all seemed far too… perfect…

"I might go crazy from it all… Life just shouldn't be this easy when others have it so hard, especially when there are people struggling who're just outside this place…" he sighed.

Truly, Los Noches needed a worthy and compassionate person to take the throne after Aizen.

…

Once he was done bathing, Ichigo went out to the courtyard to spend a little time there. He sat in the grass under the bright sun and then started watching the townspeople going about their daily routines.

In the market, young women sold fruits and clothing to passersby. Construction workers walked around on the tops of new structures they were building. Old women were selling water to the exhausted children who'd clearly played themselves out for the afternoon. Gypsies danced and sang near the western edge of the kingdom, in peace, with an occasional townsperson joining them.

"Gypsies…" the boy sighed, "I wonder what Nelliel is doing right now…" he commented.

After just spending one night in her company, Ichigo had realized that there was  _some_  entertainment to be found in frivolous drinking and partying late into the night.

Not that he hadn't ever partied before… Back home in Seireitei, Matsumoto's house was where someone went on a Firdas* evening to have some fun. Though, she had a usual tendency to overdo it… She was even capable of drinking Ikkaku under the table when she was serious…

He really missed everyone back in Seireitei. Coming here on Unohana's request seemed like the biggest mistake of his young life. If he had just stayed home and dismissed the request, Rukia and Renji would be okay. And he wouldn't need to question whether or not they were alive.

But… if he had stayed home, then he never would have stopped Grimmjow from killing that beggar child.

Despite the decision he had made, it seemed that someone was bound to be taken down by the merciless Sexta Espada.

Regardless of them having been effortlessly defeated by Grimmjow, somewhere out there, Ichigo knew Rukia and Renji were still alive. They just had to be. And when he thought optimistically like that, his coming here seemed to have done more good than he'd expected it to have in his having saved the child and helped the people in the hospital.

When he heard footsteps approaching from behind, the boy turned.

It was Pantera again. The beast stopped as soon as its presence was noticed.

"Hey there." Ichigo said calmly and invitingly.

Pantera stared at him blankly. He merely took a seat and then watched him for a while.

Ichigo grew uncomfortable with those bright blue eyes that seemed to see right through him. It was as if this animal knew he was planning to escape… Or… it was as if he knew he was  _going_  to escape and he was offering his goodbye…

Unable to fully trust the animal with his back to it, he turned to keep him in his peripheral. They sat like that for about thirty minutes, but when Pantera yawned, Ichigo turned. He watched as the panther stood up and left the courtyard, retreating back into Grimmjow's quarters.

For some reason, he felt guilty. Just when he was starting to get attention from this otherwise uninterested panther, he was about to abandon it… in a sense…

"But I don't belong here. You'll be fine with Grimmjow." He whispered, his voice being carried away by the light afternoon winds.

Grimmjow…

The thought of the Espada left a bad taste in Ichigo's mouth in every possible way conceivable. The guy was egotistical, unmerciful, dangerous, heartless, and far too selfish for him to ever be able to see in a positive sense.

And thanks to him he'd never, ever be the same…

"I can't believe myself… I can't believe what I've become… I'm nothing but his sex toy, waiting for him to return for me…"

The boy gripped a handful of the green grass beneath him and ripped it up. He was angry. So very angry. After all his training and all he had gone through to become a Court Guard, this was what he'd been reduced to? "Nothing more than a bird in a cage…" he said through gritted teeth.

Even though he was angry, he was also confused. Which also happened to be part of the reason he was angry.

Sure, he was livid about Grimmjow's having attacked his friends and then his having taken him captive, but he was also upset with himself. And that was because of his own actions. At some point during this… experience… he had pretty much surrendered to Grimmjow. Given himself to him willingly because he had been able to feel pleasure in the intercourse they'd been having. And that disgusted him.

The thought of one man submitting to another and having his own will overpowered… it just didn't seem right.

Though unnatural, the Holy Book had taught that there were some men who allowed such a thing to happen. The reason why they did such a thing was not provided, though.

" _I can only assume it would be because the one submitting assumed he was in love with the dominating one… But that's just… absurd. One man can't love another man in the same way he could a woman… Humans weren't built to be that way…"_

Even as he thought it, Ichigo didn't feel much truth in that simply because it was what one of the ancient predecessors had proscribed as being moral and wholesome a long, long time ago.

The obvious person who he found to be an exception to the rule was his comrade, Yumichika on the Eleventh Court, who had openly admitted to having feelings for Ikkaku of that same court. How could someone condemn him for admitting to what was coming from his heart? And it was a benevolent thing at that! It wasn't like Yumichika aimed to kill someone with his emotions, hopes, and aspirations.

It was cruel and  _im_ moral how someone could just say that he was wrong for being  _human_. What he was feeling was invalid because it wasn't  _normal_?

" _Who wants to be normal, anyway? Normal never inspired anyone…"_

"Oh, kami… What on Earthia am I thinking…?" the boy asked aloud, as if he was losing his mind.

Blasphemous, that's all this was. Even though it was only mentioned about three times in their Holy Book, homosexuality was an abominable thing. Thinking otherwise was outright… well blasphemy.

What he'd been doing here with Grimmjow was sin. And even if he wasn't the most faithful person, he knew sin was sin. And sinners are said to be faced with their sin once they die, suffering to no end for the rest of eternity.

That was the whole reason he couldn't fully find pleasure in sleeping with the Sexta Espada. Even  _if_  he'd ejaculated on more than one occasion…

"… Change of subject... I need to find a way to get out of here." the boy spoke calmly.

Brown eyes glanced at the pebbles lying on the ground that he'd tossed at Aizen's forcefield a few days ago. There was no way he could break that barrier. Especially without Zangetsu…

The obvious escape route was back inside the room. If he could somehow destroy Grimmjow's Reiatsu forcefield on the doors, then he would be able to find Rukia and Renji and take them to Inoue.

For the rest of his time in solitude, Ichigo focused on ways he could possibly break the forcefield. Though, he didn't come up with much…

* * *

The sun was now setting far off in the west, signaling the end of another day in the desert kingdom of Los Noches.

Grimmjow walked down the halls of the palace, heading to his room for another night of pleasure with his little toy.

After a pitiful sparring session with a few of the lower ranking Arrancar, he decided he needed something a little more challenging to dominate. Who better than his little Court Guard? The battles they engaged in at night were far more pleasurable, anyway.

He entered his quarters and then closed and resealed the doors. His captive was out in the courtyard, he noticed.

The urge to take him now instead of bathing first overcame him. With a smirk, he made to do just that.

Just before he reached the doorway to the courtyard, a tug at his pant leg stopped him.

The man turned to see Pantera standing behind him, "What do you want? I'm about to get a little busy. If you want a bath, you'll have to wait a while." He said tauntingly.

"That's not what I want and you know it…" the panther responded telepathically.

"Then I'll get back with you in a bit. Let me get on with my entertainment." Grimmjow stated dismissively, and then continued on his way to his prey.

"He's planning to overpower you and destroy your barrier, you know."

The Espada stopped dead in his tracks and turned to stare at Pantera. How laughable a thought an attempt like that would be. "That'll never happen." He said confidently.

"I can… feel it… Something's going to happen before the end of the day… I think you should keep your wits about you and leave the boy alone for tonight…"

"I don't have time for your chit chat at the moment. I'm horny as hell, and you're not helping me solve my problem."

"Grimmjow. Heed my advice or you will definitely regret it…"

The bluenette stared at the panther seriously. He wasn't usually the type to joke around, especially about something like this. He then turned to stare at Ichigo's backside as he sat in the grass, basking in the orange glow of the sunset. Against his own powerful sexual needs, Grimmjow bit his lower lip and gave in... a little… "Fine… I'll bathe  _first_  and then get down to business."

Pantera turned and headed up the stairs. That wasn't what he'd meant by 'leave the boy alone'… But if Grimmjow was going to be stubborn, then come what may to him.

"He  _had_  to go and ruin my fun…" Grimmjow stated irritably.

After standing his sword against the wall next to his bed and stripping out of his clothes, he entered the bathroom and filled the tub with steaming hot water. Immediately, he canonballed into it then came up and shouted out excitedly. He was excited because with the Court Guard, unlike the Arrancar, he didn't have to hold back considering the battle they would have was of a different kind.

Eagerly, the man lathered some soap onto a washcloth and then scrubbed himself all over. As he did, for just a curious moment, the Espada wondered how Pantera felt when he got bathed by the Court Guard. He'd seemed not to mind, which was pretty unexpected. Pushing those pointless thoughts to the back of his mind, Grimmjow ducked under the water to get rid of the soap, then came back up and floated around on his backside, letting the calmness of the evening sky above consume his thoughts.

There was only so much he could take, though.

"Enough of this… I've waited long enough…" he said impatiently, and then swam over to the steps.

Fervently, he dried himself off. Without hesitation, he walked over to and opened the doors, then left the bathroom, letting the steam follow him into his bedroom.

And then he saw him. The Court Guard. Kurosaki.

Sitting patiently on the bed and reading a book.

With an eager grin, he spoke. "Get out of your clothes."

Ichigo stared nervously at Grimmjow as he stalked over to him, his heartbeat increasing with each step the man took. This was his chance. Between now and tomorrow morning, he had to make his great escape, somehow...

Near shivering with anxiety, he slowly disrobed, laid back on the pillows, and then closed his eyes.

After a few moments of nothing happening, he grew impatient. And he actually started blushing when he realized that Grimmjow was looking him over.

"G- get on with it already!"

Again, he waited for something to happen. It took a second, and he was about to open his eyes and say or do something, but a finger at his rear end stopped him.

"I see you're becoming more and more obedient… I don't know if that warrants me cutting off your head or keeping you around to torture you some more for it." He heard the man above him breathe out.

"Just… get on with it… I'm tired and ready to go to sleep…"

"Oh it's definitely coming, kid." Grimmjow said, and then removed his finger from the boy's tight hole.

Ichigo opened his eyes slightly when he felt the familiar head of Grimmjow's penis entering him. He could see that the man was looking down the whole time, paying close attention as he made his way inside of him. He looked so… so concentrated and…

" _No… he's not handsome! I won't try to-"_

"Gonna try to kiss me again, Court Guard?" Grimmjow asked, and then stared straight into the boy's barely open eyes, "You know what'll happen if you do."

" _How did he know I was looking at him…?!"_

Along with his shock at Grimmjow's unexpected perception, Ichigo was slightly appalled. The thought of him thinking he wanted to kiss him again… It was so true the boy turned away to hide the embarrassment shown on his flustered cheeks.

It was then that he saw it.

Grimmjow's sword, leaning against the wall on the other side of the bed. That was it! That was his ticket out of here, he just knew it!

If only he could reach it!

Quickly, he pushed Grimmjow off of him and crawled closer to the other side of the bed. Trying to keep his true intentions hidden, he made it seem as if he was challenging Grimmjow to catch him.

It appeared to work because the Espada looked at him curiously for a second, and then quickly crawled over to him. He gripped the smaller boy by the neck and spoke heavily, "There's nowhere you can run to. Just lay back and take it like you always do."

"Let go of me!" Ichigo shouted, and then started grabbing at the larger man's arms. This all had to seem real, otherwise, who knew what the consequences of him being found out would be…

"… Wanna bathe me sometime? Wait, that wasn't a question… it was an order."

"Wh-what…?!"

Where the hell did that come from? It was so out of place Ichigo couldn't help but feel that it held a bit of humor. This Espada was clearly not a people person, his conversational skills proved that. He grinned, forgetting his plan for a second, until the other opened his mouth again.

"You seem so good at doing useless shit like that. I might as well get the most use out of you as possible." Grimmjow said with a grin, and then moved in a little closer.

"Uh-! F- Fuck you, Grimmjow!" the smaller boy shouted, and then reached out to grab the sheathed sword. Upon obtaining it, he made to draw it. But the immediate expression of pure confusion all over the other's face caused him to halt his actions.

His arms actually trembled a bit from the thought of killing Grimmjow in such a quick and merciless way, which made him release the white sword. It was at that exact moment he realized that he wasn't going to be able to do it. No matter how much Grimmjow hurt him, he realized he probably wouldn't ever be able to kill him. And with that in mind, Ichigo readied himself for his punishment-

*CRASH*

"YO, GRIMMJOW! I got a bone to pick with you! And Tousen has called us for a meeting, so get your ass up!"

Both Ichigo and Grimmjow immediately looked to the doorway where the heavy doors crashed noisily to the ground.

Pantera came inside from the terrace and stared down at the person who had caused the commotion in his master's room.

"Oh! What's this!? In the middle of gettin' your freak on, I see!"

"Yammy, you fucking bastard!" Grimmjow shouted crossly.

"Give the girl to me and I'll show her just how inadequate a man you are!" Yammy said, and then stepped inside the room.

Ichigo was surprised when Grimmjow put his arm around him protectively and pulled him closer. So close in fact, his nose and lips pressed against the other's warm chest. This was so unexpected. And so was what he did in response.

Against his earlier convictions about this Espada, he lifted his hands and gingerly rested them on Grimmjow's back.

The man felt so nice to the touch as he caressed his tan skin. This felt so… so good… being this close to him like this.

But he was no fool, and the feelings he was currently having did not sway him from his objective.

" _This is my chance!"_  he thought, realizing that this distraction was a miracle among miracles.

Inwardly, he apologized for what he was about to do. Then, without hesitation, he kneed Grimmjow square in the groin.

The larger man's blue eyes widened and he doubled over in pain on top of the boy, "Fucking bastaaard…!" he hissed.

Ichigo used all his strength to lift Grimmjow's heavy frame up and saw that he was near blue in the face from the intense pain. With the time he was allowed, Ichigo did something completely irrational and startling. He leaned up and pressed his lips to the man's for a brief goodbye kiss. Then he pushed him off, hopped out of the bed, picked up some clothes, and then made a break for the exit.

He slowed down when he noticed how large the boisterous man who had broken into the room was.

" _I can't take this guy without a weapon…!"_ he thought anxiously.

"A- A MAN?! Grimmjow, you were bedding another man?!" Yammy shouted. He was so shocked he didn't know what to do. So he did nothing.

Ichigo saw his chance and dashed past him through the doorway, and then he ran straight down the dark hallway.

…

In a hall of pillars, Ichigo stopped for a moment to catch his breath. He decided it would probably be best to put on the clothes he had swiped on his way out of Grimmjow's room.

After doing that, he started to step out from behind the pillars, but when he saw a man with orange ties around his neck and shoulder across the hall, he stopped.

Heart racing a mile a second, Ichigo felt like all hope was lost. There were probably more Espada around if they were about to meet like the large one had said.

" _I'll never get out of here!"_ he lamented.

"I- Ichigo?!" a girl's voice whispered uncertainly from a ways behind him.

Said boy turned and stared down the row of pillars that he was on. It was a bit dark, but once he saw that the person who had called him was none other than Nelliel, the gypsy girl, his brown eyes widened.

When she saw that it was indeed Ichigo, she ran over to him and grabbed him in a tight hug.

"Oh I'm so glad you're okay!" she squealed.

"Nelliel! What are you doing here?!" the orange-head asked in a lowered yell.

"I came to find  _you,_ duh…!"

"Find… me…?!"

"Mhm!"

"H- how did you know I was here?"

The teal-haired girl smiled and pulled from behind her his prized sword that she had strung over her shoulder.

"Z- Zangetsu!?"

"Oh, that's its name? I suppose that fits… It's a beautiful sword, y'know."

Ichigo was near speechless. With his sword, he could escape for sure!

"You're my saving grace, Nelliel!"

Said girl gave him the sword and sighed exhaustedly, "You have  _no_  idea how much work I've been doing for the past six days! So much travelling!"

"Nel… if… if you found my sword… did you… find my friends, too?"

"The obnoxious redheaded guy and the short girl? Yup."

" _Oh kami! Thank you!"_  Ichigo inwardly shouted.

"You seem like you're trying to get out of here… Am I right? Why don't I take you to the exit and I'll tell you all about what happened."

"Y- yeah! Good idea."

* * *

It didn't take long for the two of them to reach the palace gates. Ichigo held Zangetsu tight in his hands, allowing himself the pleasure of smiling a smile of relief.

Rukia and Renji… they were okay!

"… But how…? What happened, Nel?"

"Ichigo, did you fight with that Espada?"

"Yes, that's why there was so much destruction around the area where you found my friends and my sword."

"Oh… uhm, that's not really what I meant, but that explains that part."

"Where are Rukia and Renji now?!"

Nelliel grinned confidently, "I took them in the direction your sword showed me. Which was to another kingdom, surprisingly."

"S- Seireitei?!"

"Yeah! That was the name of it! Your sword shot out a barely visible Reiatsu trail which led me there. I took your friends to a girl it pointed me to, and she healed them up. That was about… um, three days ago…?"

"Did my sword lead you back to me?" Ichigo asked. He never knew it was capable of such things.

"It did. But when I got close, it stopped guiding me… That was near the palace, so I knew you must have been in here. I think it stopped because of that unfamiliar Reiatsu laced with yours. It must not fully recognize you."

"Reiatsu laced with mine…? What are you-"

"Hey! I know that Reiatsu, actually! It's the Sexta Espada's!"

"WHAT?! HIS REIATSU IS MIXED WITH MINE?!"

"Yeah… it's… not as unusual as you might think, Ichigo. The fact that you couldn't tell says something important…"

Said boy stared down at his hands in order to try and see if he could make out the difference in Reiatsu, but he couldn't. What was Nelliel on?

"I don't feel anything different…" he said in a voice full of uncertainty.

"Oh kami… That's… Oh Ichigo!" Nelliel shouted, and then hugged him tightly again.

"Nel… I can't… breathe…!"

"Ichigo! It's the primer signo de amor!"

The boy pulled himself free and fell onto his rear end to catch his breath. Once he did, he looked up at the other questionably, "What the hell does that mean?"

"First sign of love, you fool!"

"L- love?! Grimmjow!? Are you  _out of your mind_?! You've been drinking, haven't you!?"

"I'm serious as a heart attack! When two people's Reiatsu mingle and linger on one another, it means their bound by fate to each other. It's not usually considered love, but  _I_  think that's what it means if the two cannot detect the mingling, being the optimist I am. If there is a bonding, which I can see that there is, then that only means you were meant to meet more than once and will eventually fall in love! This bonding strengthens during intense physical contact between the two involved, so it's obvious you've fought with, and most likely, did the nasty with the mean ol' Sexta. Love will conquer all, Ichigo!"

After staring at her and seeing that she was firm and serious in this belief of hers, Ichigo erupted in a fit of laughter, "PFFFFFT! BWAHAHAHAHAHA! HAHAHAHAHAHAAA!" He had to hold his sides from the foolishness of that idea. His cheeks grew warm, extremely warm. He felt like he would explode from the pure absurdity he'd just heard.

"It's not funny! Nobody ever listens to gypsies until what has been foretold comes to fruition. You'll see!"

Once he had calmed himself down to a level at which he could speak, Ichigo responded, "You're- heh- a great comedian, but- heheh- I don't really have time for jokes right now, Nelliel. I have to go. Grimmjow won't take long to recover, and he'll probably come after me if I'm still here."

"I'm telling you! Don't doubt me, Ichigo!"

"Nel, I'll drop by here again sometime to visit and joke around with you. But now I have to go back home."

"You're going to regret laughing at me."

"Thanks for all the help." Ichigo smiled and then grabbed the short girl into a warm hug.

"Wait, you're leaving now? As in  _right now_? All alone? This late in the day? There are so many dangers out in the desert! Take me with you, I can help!"

"I'll be fine with Zangetsu at my side. Besides, you've done enough for me already, so stay here and relax for a while. I will definitely see you again, I promise."

"Ichigo...!"

"Take care of yourself, Nel."

With that, Ichigo Flash Stepped out of the palace and headed straight for the exit of Los Noches kingdom. Seeing his friends again was his top priority right now.

"TAKE SOME WATER WITH YOU! AND BE CAREFUL!" Nelliel shouted after him.

With a smile on his face, Ichigo felt like Seireitei was pulling him back to it as the desert winds whipped past him. He was finally going home!

"Wait for me, everyone!" he shouted excitedly.

* * *

*Firdas – Earthia's Friday.


	10. reprimand of relief

For two days and two nights, Ichigo had traveled through the near searing desert with Seireitei in his sights. During the days, he had Flash Stepped himself out of Reiatsu, and during the nights, he rested to allow his energy to recover. For some reason, when he used it, he found that he had more Reiatsu than he normally did. It  _may_  have had something to do with what Nel said… A mixing of his and Grimmjow's Reiatsu, or something like that. Though she seemed so confident about it, he couldn't sense or believe it at all.

Whatever the case, he was moving at a breakneck pace.

On his expeditious journey, when the moon had been high in the dark, star-filled sky, Ichigo curled up to keep himself warm as he slept. It was hard when there were no comfortable velvet sheets for him to bundle up under… It was cold and very, very lonely.

At the moment, with the sun beaming down on him from its highest spot in the sky, the orange-haired boy made tracks in the green grass. He had successfully gotten through the desert without incident, and was now in the familiar, lush greenery that surrounded Seireitei. He could tell he was only minutes away from it, which meant Rukia and Renji were close.

He had to see them, and soon.

Up in a lookout tower on the kingdom gates, two of the guards saw him coming and used binoculars to make sure he wasn't an enemy. The unmistakable bright orange of the boy's hair let them know exactly who he was.

"It's- it's Kurosaki! Kurosaki is back!" one of them shouted excitedly.

"I'll go inform the gate guards!" the other said, and then hurried down the stairs.

Ichigo smiled and came to a skidding stop when he saw someone come out from the admissions post to greet him.

"You're Kurosaki, right?" the guard asked excitedly when the boy stopped in front of him.

"Yeah. I'd prove it, but I lost my badge… and my uniform…"

"That's okay, I recognize you from your hair… and the missing person's report that was filed three days ago."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow, "Missing person's report?"

"Yeah! Rukia and Renji filed it after waking up from being healed by your friend."

Forgetting the fact that he had been filed as missing, the orange-head nearly jumped onto the guard enthusiastically, "Where are they right now?! Tell me, please!"

"Um… Well after being treated, they were both taken to their respective courts to recover. I think they're still there-"

"Thank you!" Ichigo shouted elatedly. Without waiting to hear anything more, he practically put the rest of his Reiatsu into a big Flash Step in order to speed through the massive Karakura division of Seireitei. His friends who resided here could be visited after he had seen Rukia and Renji.

* * *

On her break from patrolling the Karakura division of Seireitei, Senna, a kind-hearted firecracker of a girl, sat at one of the popular sandwich shops in the downtown area. After finishing the last of her lunch, she threw the trash into the garbage can and then walked out into the street. With a yawn and a stretch, she sighed, "Ugh, I don't wanna go back to work… But at least it's just for another three hours. And I do have another twenty minutes to be on break."

When she looked up, she was surprised to see Ichigo practically  _flying_  in her direction.

He was one of her closest friends, and he had also given her the pretty red ribbon that was tying her hair back.

" _I'll never stop him by shouting out to him…"_ she thought with a smirk.

When he got close, she jumped out and countered his brisk Flash Step with one of her own.

They smashed hard into each other, forehead to forehead, and were both sent flying in two different directions. She crashed into a fruit stand, completely demolishing it, and then tried to get up quickly to avoid confrontation. However, the owner came out of her store and grabbed her by the shoulder.

"Hey, that was a brand new stand! My husband just built it two days ago!" the portly woman shouted.

"I- I'm so sorry! I was sparring with my friend and somehow I landed here when he hit me. I'm not very strong, you see…" the orange-eyed girl said innocently.

"Oh dear…!"

Ichigo, who had tumbled into a large pile of newspapers, stood up and held his head in pain. He ran over to his fellow Substitute Court Guard. "Senna! What the hell was that?!"

The boy looked around at the mess that had been caused and blushed in embarrassment.

"Morning Ichigo! I'm so glad you're not dead out in the desert or something!" Senna said, and then grabbed him by the arm to stand up.

Ichigo helped her and then folded his arms when she was on her feet. "Senna, you wanna tell me what that was about?!"

"It was the only way I could catch you as fast as you were moving! You're not supposed to be Flash Stepping through the city, anyway! Remember?!"

"I was just going to see Rukia and Renji…"

"Really?! Let me come with you! I'm so bored!" the girl said excitedly.

"… Okay… Let's go! Don't fall behind!" Ichigo stated affirmatively, before he ran out into the street.

"Hey, you little faker! You weren't sparring! Get back here!" the woman shouted when Senna followed after her friend.

Ichigo hesitated for a second, wanting to resolve the problem, but Senna grabbed him by the arm and then took off with him. "Later!" she said to the fruit saleswoman.

Through the air the two substitutes sped, creating strong gusts of wind in their wake. With her arms outstretched freely to cut through the wind, Senna smiled warmly under the sun next to Ichigo.

"I'm really glad you're back, Ichigo!" she shouted happily over the sound of the wind.

When he left Seireitei in response to Captain Unohana's request, she knew it would be much less interesting around the kingdom.

"I'm glad to be back!" the boy responded gaily. "I've missed everyone so much!"

…

As soon as they landed at the entrance to Seireitei Headquarters, Ichigo and Senna were surrounded by their colleagues.

"Ichigo! We're all so glad you're back!" Hinamori Momo, Vice Captain of the Fifth Division, said.

"Ichigo dear! Did you actually get to meet one of the princes of Los Noches?! Was he hot?!" Rangiku Matsumoto, Vice Captain of the Tenth Division, shouted from a balcony.

"Senna…" Ichigo whispered.

"What?" said girl responded.

"I need a distraction…!"

"Leave it to me!" Senna said, and then drew her weapon, "Help me out, Mirokumaru!"

With one swift swing of her sword, she summoned a powerful gust of wind that blew everyone in the vicinity down.

"Hey! I could've fallen to my death!" Rangiku shouted while kneeling and holding on to the railings of the balcony.

Ichigo saw his chance and dashed off in the direction of the Head Captain's office.

"Thanks, Senna!" he called out with a wave as he ran.

"Yeah, yeah! Hurry up! I don't have long before my break is over!"

…

Moving as fast as his feet could carry him, Ichigo tore through the breezeways of Seireitei's thirteen courts. The officers who caught a glimpse of him called out to him merrily, saying how pleased they were to see him back.

One call, however, really caught his attention, "Ichigo! Rukia is looking for you!" he heard Jūshirō Ukitake, Captain of the Thirteenth Division, say.

"Where is she?!" he asked, and came to an abrupt stop.

"She's in the Kuchiki mansion, meditating by Captain Kuchiki's request since she woke up just yesterday. She's been very eager to see you. I'm glad to see you're okay, by the way." The white-haired man said.

"Right! Thank you, Captain Ukitake!" Ichigo responded.

Without another word, he turned and hurried off in the direction of the sixth court where the Kuchiki mansion was located. He couldn't get over the excitement that Rukia and Renji were alive. Grimmjow hadn't killed them…

" _Grimmjow didn't kill them!"_  He thought with a near unnoticeable smile.

He decided to run, instead of Flash Stepping, in order to mask his Reiatsu until he could shake Grimmjow's apparently lingering one. If Nel had noticed a change in his energy, he had no doubt his friends here would.

* * *

"Ichigo!" Senna called clamorously as she hopped over the rooftops.

The orange-haired boy looked up at her just before he entered the Kuchiki mansion, "Senna? You followed me?"

"Definitely not by  _normal_  means! I ran into Captain Ukitake and he told me you were heading here. Are you hiding your Reiatsu? Because I couldn't detect you at all... The only reason I saw you was because of that carrot top of yours." The girl said, and then jumped down next to her target.

"I don't have time to explain… I'm going to visit Rukia right now."

"Rukia? Let me come too!"

"Sure, let's go."

Through the halls of the overbearingly large mansion the two of them walked, Senna making comments on some of the decor the whole time.

"Can I help you?" Byakuya Kuchiki, Captain of the Sixth Division, and Renji's superior, asked as he rounded a corner with a cup of tea.

"Captain Kuchiki!" Ichigo said, and then bowed. "I'm here to visit-"

"You're Kurosaki Ichigo, are you not?"

"Um, yes! And this is Senna! We're just here to-"

"It is good to see that you are back. Now Rukia won't be so depressed anymore." The man said. Although he didn't smile, it was clear that he was relieved.

"Where is she, anyway?" Senna asked, feeling ignored and therefore not caring for niceties.

"Rukia is in the garden. You should find her if you go through the living room."

"Th- thank you." Ichigo replied, and then carefully continued through the large mansion with Senna.

When they stepped into the living room, Ichigo felt as though he was witnessing the sunrise a thousand times over at the sight of Renji and Rukia sitting out in the garden. As quickly as he could, he walked over to them and got down on his knees in a groveling position with his head to the ground.

"Rukia! Renji! I'm so sorry I couldn't protect you! I'm gonna visit Urahara and request he help me train some more so I won't see you guys hurt ever again!"

"Ichigo…" Rukia muttered. "You don't need to-"

"Get up off the ground, you idiot! We're fine! That Espada just caught us off guard. That's the only reason we fell to him." Renji said with a scowl.

"But-"

"Renji, you sure can be insensitive." Senna said as she approached.

"You brought  _her_ with you?" the redhead brooded.

"We're fine. You shouldn't beat yourself up for our sake." Rukia smiled.

"That's right, baka! We're not as useless as you think we are!"

"You guys…" Ichigo said, and looked up to them cautiously.

"By the way Ichigo, where is your Reiatsu?" the violet-eyed girl asked.

Said boy lowered his head again and answered her with his head facing the ground, "I'm concealing it so I won't be found. Everyone's been hassling me and they'd never leave me alone if they could find me… But all I wanted was to see you two again before that happens."

"Oh…"

"I'm so glad you're both okay…"

Renji shivered at the memory of exactly why that was, "Yeah… It was all thanks to that gypsy girl… She healed us as best she could with her spit so we could travel. Her  _spit,_ Ichigo! She also used your sword to guide her here somehow." When he noticed that Zangetsu was with its rightful owner, he smiled, "I guess she was a friend of yours."

"Yeah. She is. I can't believe I worried all that time for nothing."

After remembering the fight Ichigo had been forced into, Rukia decided to ask him about it. "What happened between you and that Espada?"

"That's right! Did you win the fight?!" Renji immediately asked.

In his position, the boy was glad that Rukia, Renji, and Senna couldn't see how red his cheeks were. He could feel them. It was as if they were burning like fire in the desert.

"Well… I… He…"

"Despite what happened, Head Captain Yamamoto and Aizen are supposed to be discussing how to deal with the actions of that Espada today over a spiritual wave." Rukia interrupted when it became obvious that he hadn't won the battle.

Ichigo looked up quickly at her, "Really? I- How did the old man find out-"

" _I_ told him." Renji said seriously.

"Renji…?"

"I woke up yesterday, just a little before Rukia did. I didn't want her to have to retell what happened, as painful as it was just thinking about it, so I went to the Head Captain and told him everything."

"He limped his way through the courts to get to his office… It was hilarious! You should have seen it." Senna giggled.

"Shut up!" the redhead exclaimed, and then folded his arms.

"Renji, how much of our battle did you see?" Ichigo asked.

Had he seen Grimmjow defeat and kidnap him?

"I blacked out just as it started… The Head Captain was mainly interested in that psycho's having attacked Rukia and me unprovoked. That's why he's going to talk to Aizen. So he can be sure we won't be going into battle with Los Noches again."

Ichigo pushed himself up and looked in the direction of the First Court. "I… I have to go." He said, and then stood up.

"Ichigo…" Rukia said.

"I'm… really glad you two are okay. I can't tell you how relieved I am. But I need to talk to the Head Captain. So please don't follow me. That includes you, Senna."

"Me? W- what did I do?!"

"I need to do this alone. But I'll be back later, and maybe we can all go out for sake."

Renji flashed a toothy grin, "What's gotten into you? You're not one to drink if it's not the weekend."

"I'm just… I don't know… I guess I'm just glad everything is back to normal." the boy smiled.

Without wasting any time, he left the Kuchiki mansion and headed to speak to the Head Captain.

* * *

With each step he took down the halls of Yamamoto's head office, Ichigo oddly felt himself losing the will to actually inform the old man of what had happened to him in Los Noches. It was fairly degrading and emasculating, after all.

Rukia and Renji were alive, and that was what was most important now. Why did anyone need to find out that he had been forced into sex? If he was completely honest with himself, he had enjoyed it… well,  _some_  of it… Just touching someone and being physically close to them helped him feel like his experience wasn't  _so_ terrible. Grimmjow was handsome too, and surprisingly protective. The menacing panther the Espada kept as a pet had even started to grow fond of him.

Everything that happened to him in that room... All of it hadn't been so appalling.

Coming to a complete stop just outside of Yamamoto's office, he decided, with great contemplation, that he would keep the forced intercourse part to himself. Grimmjow would still most likely face some kind of punishment for what he had done to Rukia and Renji. That was enough.

" _I guess I should tell him about our fight, though…"_

Just as he made to do that, the sound of voices inside the large room stopped him. He listened carefully and could hear that it was Yamamoto and… who he could only guess was Aizen.

"Aizen, what is the meaning of this?! Are you trying to begin a war again?!" Yamamoto's powerful voice rang out heatedly.

A response that sounded a little fuzzy echoed in the room, "I assure you that is not the case. I wouldn't think of starting another war between our kingdoms when we just signed a ceasefire treaty."

"Why should we believe what you say!?" Soi-Fon, Captain of the Second Division, asked angrily.

"Aizen, you caused a lot of havoc when you left with two of our captains. You made it ten times worse when you tried to take the kingdom over. Why  _should_  we believe you?" Sajin Komamura, Captain of the Seventh Division, piggybacked.

He didn't really care about Aizen's departure, but Tousen's decision to follow him struck the wolf like a knife.

"I assure you I have no intention of starting a war. My interests are far greater than Seireitei. There is no need for you captains to worry."

Yamamoto stood quiet for a few minutes, holding his cane in contemplation. He knew something had to be done, otherwise, there would be constant unrest among his captains.

"If you truly want to avoid a war with our kingdom, there is one thing for you to do!"

"What might that be, Captain Yamamoto?" Aizen asked coolly.

For what felt like an eternity, Ichigo waited in the silent hallway; wondering just how far his commanding officer would go in dealing with this matter. He could feel his heart beating rapidly.  _"Grimmjow…"_  he thought, swallowing down a mouthful of saliva.

"Put the Espada who committed crimes against our kingdom to death! Strip him of his title and let your kingdom know he is not interested in keeping the peace we've obtained and maintained!"

Those words echoed through the area and found their way to Ichigo's ears, causing his auburn eyes to go wide. With unexpectedly heavy breaths, he slid to the floor and tried to keep calm.

It was just what he had wanted. Right? The whole time he was cooped up in Grimmjow's room, he harped about the merciless punishment the man would get for his callous and selfish actions. He was so convinced that was what was right.

But now… things were different. Since he hadn't actually killed Rukia and Renji, Grimmjow didn't seem  _as_  bad as he had before. In fact, he just seemed to want… some company. It was quite lonely in those quarters of his, and he was never there. That was probably the reason why. But… perhaps all he wanted was someone to be able to come back to an after a long day of doing whatever it was he did.

Of course, he may have said he was just trying to dominate a powerful enemy, but he could very well have been lying.

" _Maybe that's just me being optimistic…"_

Ichigo sat in place, letting the silence of the office envelop him. It was uncomfortable. Why wasn't Aizen saying anything?

" _Save your subordinate!"_  he thought angrily.

"Well? What say you to that proposal?" Yamamoto asked.

Again, Aizen did not respond. The room was completely silent in anticipation until-

"Say something, damn it! I didn't wanna be here all day!" Ichigo heard Kenpachi Zaraki, Captain of the Eleventh Division, shout out irritably.

"Come on, Aizen. Either sentence your subordinate or save him." Shunsui Kyōraku, Captain of the Eighth Division said, deciding it was time he said something. Normally, he'd let these kinds of things just play out, but Aizen was just being plain obnoxious with his silence.

"While I do understand you are upset about what happened to your officers, I cannot agree to such a punishment. He is a prince and an Espada, among the group of elite soldiers I consider powerful enough to provide my kingdom with the power needed to protect it while I am away conducting research. His existence is critical to my plans for this place I've come to call my home." Aizen responded calmly.

As soon as he finished, the captains attending the conference all began talking disapprovingly among themselves. Aizen refusing to agree to the Head Captains terms was basically strike two against Los Noches; strike one being Grimmjow having attacked in the first place.

Yamamoto banged his cane on the wooden floor, silencing the room once more. "If you will not agree to that-" he began.

Aizen cleared his throat to interrupt him, and then spoke, "As I do need him, I cannot simply destroy Grimmjow. As I said, he is pivotal to my future plans. But I can assure you I will inflict a punishment on him."

"And what would you do to him to make up for what he has done?" Yamamoto asked curiously, sure there was nothing he could do that would satisfy the situation.

"I will strip him of his ranking among the Espada, but he will remain alive and here in my custody."

"That's absurd! That's no punishment!" Soi-Fon retorted.

Zaraki cracked all the knuckles in his fingers, and then cracked his neck, "If you want a punishment, let me deal with him! I'll bring his head back on a silver platter and then mount it on a pike outside the kingdom!"

"Hold your tongue, Captain Soi-Fon! Captain Zaraki! Let me think this over!" Yamamoto bellowed.

Again, the room was silenced. The captains stared at Yamamoto's backside as he faced Aizen to think his offer over.

"Head Captain…" Komamura began.

"Fine. We will accept your terms, Aizen. Your kingdom now has a strike against it, and so does the Espada. If he commits another crime, I will see to his disposal myself!"

"Agreed. Is this all there is up for discussion? I have some important notes to organize so I have to dismiss myself." Aizen said with a smile.

"That is all for now. I should hope you will use your influence to keep your Espada in order so my captains won't have to wonder whether we are about to go to war or not."

"Indeed. Well, goodbye."

When Yamamoto shut off the spiritual wave, most of the captains voiced their opinions about his decision.

"I kept quiet because I knew you'd do what was best, Head Captain." Kurotsuchi Mayuri, Captain of the Twelfth Division began, "But I would love to examine an Espada's body so I'm kind of hoping he screws up again!"

"I… Have nothing to say. If this is what you decided, then I won't object any further." Soi-Fon said, and then closed her eyes disapprovingly.

"Captain Kurotsuchi, get in touch with Captain Unohana and let her know what was discussed here." Yamamoto said. She needed to be aware of the situation as well, especially since she was in potential enemy territory.

"I'll do that as soon as I return to my division." The strange scientist responded.

Ichigo felt a bubbly warmth in his lower gut, and he smiled at the captain's unexpected generosity. He was so… happy that Grimmjow wasn't going to be killed.

When he heard footsteps coming his way, Ichigo stood up and hurried out of the Head Captain's court. He decided to put the Grimmjow matter out of his mind since it had seemingly resolved itself.

Right now, he had friends to see.


	11. home

And so another day had come and gone in Seireitei Kingdom. For many who resided there, the return of their orange-haired Court Guard lifted their spirits to the skies and set happiness in their spirits.

That very Court Guard, Ichigo, burrowed comfortably under his soft, warm comforter, woke up when it proved unable to keep the morning sunlight from reaching him.

Yesterday, he had gone out to see everyone he had missed while he was away and then came to the clinic. It took so long catching up with them that when he'd come home to greet his family, he found they were all asleep on the couch waiting for him. But that wasn't so bad because today, the first thing he would see would be their smiling faces.

Something soft jumped onto him and then walked up to where his head rested under the sheets.

"Ichigoooooo! You're baaaack!"

Said boy cringed at the sound of that familiar high-pitched voice. "Ugh…"

"Come out from under the sheets and face me!"

"Kon, leave me alooone!" he responded groggily.

"Now how do you like that?! I'm here in this lonely bedroom of yours for a whole week waiting for you to come home, avoiding that crazy little sister of yours like the plague, and  _this_  is the greeting I get?!"

Kon, one of the four stuffed plushies who had been imbued with Reiatsu by the Twelfth Division of Seireitei's Court Guard Squads, and therefore given life, had been given to Ichigo a few months ago. He didn't know exactly why Urahara and Kurotsuchi had created Kon, or why Rukia passed him along as a present to him, and he felt like he never would.

If he was honest with himself though, Kon did keep him company on those days when he was at home alone for an extended period of time.

"Kon… leave me alone… I'm trying to relax…"

"No way! It's time you learn a lesson in-"

A knocking on the door made the plushie whip around and stare at it anticipatingly.

"Onii-chan? Are you in there?" Yuzu, the younger twin of Ichigo's sisters, called from behind the door.

"Oh kami…!" Kon whispered fearfully.

Ichigo quickly sat up and threw his sheets back, sending the stuffed lion flying across the room. "You can come in, Yuzu!" He responded.

Kon was out in the open. The boy smirked deviously because he knew if Yuzu saw him, she was going to take him to her room and give him the punishment he deserved: being dressed in girly clothes and suffocated with affection.

When the door opened, Kon bolted to hide behind the dresser in the corner and began praying for dear life.

"Onii-chan!" Yuzu exclaimed happily when she saw her brother in all of his bedheaded glory.

She ran over to him and threw her arms around him lovingly, saying how much she, Karin, and their father missed him.

"Yuzu… I'm fine."

"I- I know! But when they filed that missing person's report, everyone was so scared! We thought you were lost out in the desert… or kidnapped, or killed!" the girl cried out through a shaky voice. She was clearly on the verge of crying.

"I'm home now. There's no need for you to worry so much. Have some faith in your older brother." Ichigo said consolingly.

While Yuzu had her face buried in Ichigo's neck, Kon saw his chance and made a break for the closet. However, when he heard Karin and Ishiin coming down the hallway, he made for the quickest hiding spot: underneath Ichigo's bed.

"Onii-chan!" Karin said as she entered the room, her expression and voice both heavy with relief.

"Karin, Dad…" Ichigo said with a warm smile.

Ishiin came in and leaned his bulky frame against the wall before returning that smile. "I'm glad you're home, son."

"Oniiiii-chaaaaaaan!" Yuzu cried, her arms still wrapped tightly around her older brother.

Karin, seeing that Ichigo needed to get ready for the day ahead of him, walked over and put a gentle hand on her little sister's shoulder. "How about some breakfast, Yuzu?" she asked.

"R- right! Onii-chan! What would you like?! I'll make anything you want me to!" the double pigtail-haired girl said after unwrapping her arms from around Ichigo's neck.

"Anything you make will be fine. You know that, Yuzu."

"I'll cook something special for you then!"

"Sounds good to me." The boy said with an adoring look.

Kon watched as Yuzu's socked feet touched the floor and left the room with Karin right behind her.

Ishiin, however, stayed leaning against the wall.

"Dad…" Ichigo said, unable to think of anything else to say.

"Ichigo, I… I heard about your fight with that Espada. And I just have to say… I'm so glad you've come home in one piece. I don't know what Yamamoto will do about this, but-"

"The old man's not going to do anything. Aizen already laid out a punishment for Grimmjow."

"Grimmjow… That was his name, huh?"

"Yeah." Looking down, the boy brought his hands together and twiddled his thumbs nervously, "Dad… I didn't win. He beat me and then almost killed Rukia and Renji... I can see now I'm not strong enough… If the kingdom were to go to war, I wouldn't be of any use to anyone-"

"Ichigo," Ishiin interrupted, "You're home and safe. That's all that matters to me. You lived to fight another day, and to everyone here, that means more than you realize."

"… I'm going to talk to Urahara to get him to train me some more."

"Don't."

"What? Why?"

"Well, you wouldn't find him anyway because Urahara isn't in the kingdom at the moment. He's out doing research and won't be back for a while."

After hearing that, Ichigo closed his eyes and sighed hopelessly. Urahara was supposed to be his answer. He was supposed to help him get stronger, so that next time he saw Grimmjow he wouldn't lose. But if he was gone, then what did that mean?  _"I guess… I'll have to find another way to get stronger then…"_

Ishiin turned to leave, but stopped when he remembered something.

"Why are you hiding your Reiatsu by the way? Afraid of being found by everyone?"

"Oh… um… no, that's not it. It's just best for me to keep it hidden for now…"

"Hmm, well whatever will help you recover, go for it son. I'll always believe in you, and in the choices you make. I know your mother would, too if she was still here." The man said, and then exited the room.

Now completely alone, or, at least free of human interaction, since Kon was still cowering under the bed, Ichigo unintentionally took in the sounds of everything around him. He noticed the little things, the birds chirping noisily outside, the sound of the flowing pond in their neighbor's back yard, the sound of the gentle winds blowing against his window, all of it. Looking out his window at the kingdom that sprawled itself almost as far as his eyes could see, he sighed.

Being home was very different than being in Grimmjow's room.

"Grimmjow…" he muttered.

What was he doing right now? And more importantly,  _how_  exactly had Aizen demoted him?

"Thinking about whoever that person is?" Kon asked, and then jumped up onto the bed comically. Ichigo remained quiet as the little lion walked over to him. "I'm curious about where you were for all the time you were missing. Were you lost in the desert? Eaten by a giant scorpion? Or held hostage by desert bandits?!"

"No… I was none of those things…"

"Then where were you?"

"I was nowhere."

"Don't lie to me, Ichigo! I'll find out the truth! And stop masking your Reiatsu! I can't tell if you're lying when you do that!"

"If you can't tell if I'm lying without sensing my Reiatsu, then how can you say I was lying?"

"Because you  _sounded_  like you were lying! The only reason I'm mad about this is because  _you_  left me alone in here for so long! I almost started talking with your sneakers for crying out loud!" the stuffed lion exclaimed accusingly.

"… Can you leave me alone, Kon? Please? I have some thinking to do…"

Kon folded his arms, said "Hmph! I'm losing interest in this whole mess," and then jumped off of the bed. "If you want to sulk around all day, I won't stop you! I'm going to get some rest in my favorite corner of the closet."

Ichigo sighed.

He wanted nothing more than to get on with his life, to move on from what happened in Los Noches, but something was holding him back.

For now though, being with family and friends would help him to just forget… He hoped.

* * *

Over the course of four days following his return, Ichigo had found that everyone was just as normal as he'd left them.

Chad still ran around the kingdom early each morning as a part of his daily exercise. He was also still as overprotective as ever. The moment he'd seen Ichigo, he asked him if everything was okay. Then he asked if the Espada would continue to be a problem. Although he knew Chad would never, ever be able to defeat Grimmjow, it was still nice to hear that caring tone of his.

Ishida was still working at his father's hospital, and he was still as condescending and over-analytical as ever. But it was nice to see that someone wasn't coddling him like a baby since his return. All he did when he was told about the fight was suggest that he train some more so he wouldn't lose again. Then he told him if he wasn't going to help in the hospital that he should leave. On his way out, Ichigo switched some clients' clipboards, which had minor illnesses listed on them, just to mess with him. That'd surely cause an uproar later.

Senna remained slightly aloof about the entire situation after finding out about the battle. She wasn't really a  _fighter_ , but she didn't like to lose, ever. So the things she told him confused even her when she said them. But in any case, she was glad that he was back. Now she had her buddy who bought her subs whenever she wanted because he was just that nice. He'd spent a few hours with her at the monthly fair that was coincidentally set up in the kingdom. She did a tightrope trick and earned the attention of some guys, but shooed them off saying that Ichigo was her boyfriend.

It was embarrassing… As were most situations the two of them often found themselves in.

Rukia and Renji were back to normal, too. Yamamoto had decided to give them a few days off to let them recuperate emotionally. Rukia decided that while she had some time off, she would brush up on her Kido. So she trained with Byakuya when he was, surprisingly, free. Other times she was off on her own in the garden of the Kuchiki mansion. Renji trained on his own, too in one of the fields near the eastern border of the kingdom. Ichigo had gone with him twice to train with him before deciding to train on his own.

The one person who broke the returning calmness in Ichigo's life, unexpectedly, was Inoue; his bubbly, beautiful friend of five years.

The days when he was out training near the lake, he made sure to hide his Reiatsu so no one would see just how hard he pushed himself. His training was too intense for any of them to be involved, and he also didn't want anyone saying he was overdoing it.

One day towards the end of one of his sessions, when his stamina had completely left him, he fired a few Getsuga Tenshous into the air. He intended to counter and dodge as many as he could, but his legs had given out on him as soon as he fired them and he fell to his knees, completely helpless. Just as he was about to be torn asunder by one, Inoue tackled him out of the way and threw up her Santen Kesshun for safe measure.

"Kurosaki-kun, are you okay?!" she asked while looking down to the boy sympathetically.

The attacks cut into the ground around them, leaving deep scars in their wake.

"Inoue…? *huff* What are you doing here?" Ichigo asked and panted at the same time. Though he was glad she had saved his life, there was no way she could have found him. He'd been masking his Reiatsu since  _before_  he entered the kingdom a few days ago.

"What do you mean?" she asked, and then helped him sit up.

"How did you find me?" he asked after catching his breath.

The girl retracted her dome-like golden shield from around them and smiled, "I followed your Reiatsu, of course! I had to concentrate really hard to do it, though."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow in complete confusion, "But…"

"What is it?"

"Nothing… I guess…"

"Do you need me to heal you?" Inoue asked after closely observing the boy's beaten and exhausted condition.

"I'd appreciate it. That'll help me train some more." Ichigo responded with a smile.

"Okay! Sōten Kisshun, I reject!" she said.

Ichigo watched as Ayame and Shun'ō, the two manifestations of Inoue's Shun Shun Rikka who were capable of performing the healing technique, shot out from Inoue's hairpins and flew around him with friendly smiles. The familiar bright, sunset golden light of the protective barrier of the technique appeared, causing his wounds to heal and his stamina to return to him. The boy looked up at Inoue, who looked a little disturbed. "Hey, what's wrong, Inoue?" he said.

"I… Um…"

"You can say what you're feeling. We're friends. You don't need to hold back with me."

"Kurosaki-kun," the girl began hesitantly. She fidgeted with the hem of her skirt before continuing. "There's a… kind of dark, unfamiliar Reiatsu mixed with yours. I noticed it when you came to visit me a few days ago, but I didn't want to ask about it while everyone was celebrating. What happened to you in Los Noches…?"

The orange-haired boy was shocked to the point of being flabbergasted. He was surprised at Inoue's adept Reiatsu awareness, but he was also surprised because he thought after all this time of training and recovering that his Reiatsu had returned to normal. The fact that it had not was beginning to irritate him.

"I, uh, fought with an Espada. I guess the battle was so great that his Reiatsu stuck to mine. But I'll be back to normal soon!" he said, trying to assure himself more than the concerned girl in front of him.

Inoue smiled and shrugged innocently, "It's not a big problem! I just thought it was a little strange. I hardly noticed it, really."

Ichigo stared at his friend. The fact that she could tell at all, when he had been doing all he could to hide it, said it wasn't as small a problem as she thought. If he had been  _revealing_  his Reiatsu, she probably would have said something about it the moment she saw him, that's how  _big_  a problem it was.

"Inoue, what do you know about Reiatsu mingling?" he asked.

Perhaps she knew something he didn't. Like Nel seemed to.

"Well I don't know much… I just thought it was weird to see someone else's laced with yours… I've never seen that happen before, but I think it's making you uncomfortable. I'm sorry for bringing it up."

"No, no! Thank you. If you hadn't said anything, I never would have realized this is more important than I first thought it was."

"Kurosaki-kun…"

"I think I'm all healed up for now." The boy turned and said to Ayame and Shun'ō.

They both nodded in response, and then took the golden barrier down. After saying their goodbyes to him, they returned to Inoue's hairpins that were latched onto her thin sweater.

"Thanks for healing Rukia and Renji by the way."

Inoue was shocked by his words, "Of course! I'll always heal you guys! You know that. It doesn't matter how hopeless the situation seems, if there is breath in my body, I'll call on my powers for you!"

Ichigo smiled at the girl. Honestly, the little talks he had with her always seemed to cheer him up. It was really nice just knowing she and his other friends were behind him.

After a few seconds of sitting in her company, the boy stood up and walked over to Zangetsu to pick him up. With the wind blowing against him, he stopped and looked to the endless blue sky above. It looked the exact same here as it had in Los Noches. And for a moment, he felt like Pantera would come and sit next to him.

"Hey, Inoue…"

"Hmm?"

"I need to keep training, so I think you should go back. I don't want you caught in the crossfire."

"Okay." The girl said, and then stood and brushed her skirt off. She stared at Ichigo's back for a moment before she turned to leave. Something told her he wouldn't be staying much longer. "Good luck, Kurosaki-kun. And be careful." With that, she left the training field.

Ichigo stared down at Zangetsu and figured maybe he could help him figure some things out.

"Zangetsu, I need to talk to you." He said, before sitting down in a meditative pose next to the sword.

…

From the natural world to his own inner world the boy traveled, in search of the manifested spirit of his sword.

He traveled over hundreds of inverted, glassy skyscrapers before he laid eyes on the man. "Zangetsu!" he called.

The tall, handsome, dark-haired, sunglasses wearing man known by that name was someone Ichigo always knew he could come to when he needed guidance. And even though Ichigo was his master, Zangetsu had much more wisdom to share. They had met when he was training with Urahara and his crew to obtain him, and at first, he didn't trust him. But now he was the one person the boy knew would always be truthful to him.

"I figured I would see you soon, Ichigo." The man said, and then turned to face his master.

Ichigo stopped when he got close and bowed to the man. "I need to talk to you."

"What's on your mind?" Zangetsu replied, and then returned the bow.

The orange-haired boy looked around his world for a moment. Knowing this would be a long talk, he took a seat and suggested Zangetsu do the same.

For a few minutes, he stared off in the distance where the blue skyscrapers faded on the horizon trying to figure out how to begin. He looked down at the one he was sitting on, and then sighed heavily. "Zangetsu, I have a problem."

"I know, I've been watching you. I'm aware of your issue with the strange Reiatsu you cannot shake."

A vein appeared on Ichigo's forehead, indicating his irritation. "Then why did you ask 'what's on your mind' if you already knew?!"

With a bellowing laugh at the boy's reaction, Zangetsu put a firm hand on his shoulder. "I'm just waiting for you to say it. It's the polite thing to do, after all."

Shaking his head disapprovingly, Ichigo sighed. "I should have come to you sooner than now… I… I don't know what to do, old man. Grimmjow's Reiatsu is all over me and I can't even feel it! I'll never get rid of it if I can't even tell it's there…"

"Hmm, Grimmjow Jaegerjaques... He is definitely a powerful one. I could feel a lot of malice in his blade when he struck me." The man replied seriously as he recalled the battle they had fought against him.

"I know… He has some issues he needs to deal with if he wants to be the king of Los Noches. Oh, by the way… Nel said that his Reiatsu is mixed with mine because it is fate that we cross paths again."

"Ah yes, the gypsy girl. A devoted one, she is."

"I didn't know you would go out of your way to help her… or anyone besides me." Ichigo said with a small smile, "Guiding her to Seireitei was very nice of you, so thanks old man."

Zangetsu shook his head, "It was nothing. I knew that if I helped her save your friends, you would be happy. Even while we were separated, I could feel your anguish, your pain. I just wanted to give you some relief for the time when we met again."

"Thanks." When he remembered the next thing she had told him, Ichigo's tone changed from an appreciative one to confusion, "She told me you stopped guiding her when you got close to me. Why'd you do that?"

All of a sudden, the mood between the two of them became heavy and serious. Zangetsu stared directly into Ichigo's eyes before speaking, "The reason I stopped guiding her was because I couldn't tell which person you were. Your Reiatsu and the Reiatsu of the Espada we fought were exactly the same the moment we got close to the palace that night. I could not tell the two of you apart, so I stopped guiding the girl altogether. If I led her to the wrong one, she could very well have died."

"But… Grimmjow and I were together in the same spot… Our Reiatsu were right next to one another… even if they were the same…"

"I did not want to run the chance of her dying. Besides, you were unarmed as I was not at your side. If she appeared with me, the Espada probably would have killed her and there would have been nothing you could have done to save her."

Ichigo looked down in confusion. "Wait, if our Reiatsu were exactly the same, then why is mine back to normal? Inoue said his Reiatsu was barely noticeable when she visited me."

"I think you know the answer to that." Zangetsu said, and then avoided eye contact with a faint blush on his cheeks.

Ichigo blushed as well and looked away to hide his embarrassment. "When we were…"

"It's okay if you like that kind of thing, Ichigo. As your Zanpakutō spirit, and as your friend, I will never judge you."

"I don't!"

"The reason your Reiatsu mixed, and the only reason they were impossible to differentiate at that moment was because you enjoyed it. But… you should know that such a thing only happens if both parties enjoy the act…"

"I didn't enjoy-" Ichigo stopped mid-sentence and bent forward quickly, "You mean…! Grimmjow liked it, too?!"

"Does that excite you?"

With a deeper blush than before, the boy sat back down and folded his arms defensively. "No! It absolutely does not!"

"But you said 'too'…"

"I did not!"

"Ichigo, you need to deal with this directly, instead of simply ignoring it. I think you should discover your own feelings through meditation and training. That gypsy even has me convinced that you will see the Espada again. And I feel like it'll be sooner than you think. You'd best prepare yourself for what the future holds pertaining to him."

"… Right. Next time we fight, I won't lose to him!"

"I'll be at your side, always. No matter what happens, Ichigo." Zangetsu said with a smile, before standing up.

"Thank you, old man Zangetsu."

"Until next time." The tall man said, and then departed.

When he could no longer see the deep black of Zangetsu's overcoat, Ichigo got into a meditative position and then closed his eyes.

He came to in the real world and looked around to get his bearings. He'd spent a little bit longer in his inner world than he intended to, but his talk with Zangetsu was definitely worth it.

For a while, he sat there in the grass, just observing the training grounds.  _"He was enjoying it… He was enjoying having sex with me…"_  he thought, unable to tell if that was a good or a bad thing.

"No, I don't have time to think about that." He said, remembering his priorities.

Without concern about others finding out about Grimmjow's unshakable Reiatsu on him, he exposed his energy as fully as he could to continue his training. After taking a moment to make sure Inoue wasn't in the area, and finding that she was safely back home, he picked up his ebony sword and decided he would do this on his own since Urahara wasn't around to help him.

And just as he had his heart set on that…

"Well hello there, Ichigo." A man said lazily from behind him.

Said boy turned in the direction the person acknowledging him was coming from.

This person was… well… from first glance, he seemed rather lethargic and uninterested. With a sword propped over his shoulder, this fellow with blonde, shoulder-length hair was approaching him with a slow stride. His attire seemed pretty formal, consisting of a black button-down shirt, gray slacks, a white tie, and a well shined pair of dress shoes, but his expression gave his ill-fitting personality away.

"Who are you? How do you know my name?" Ichigo asked, and held Zangetsu up defensively.

"He was right, I wouldn't mistake you. That loud, orange hair of yours, standoffish attitude, and uninviting demeanor are impossible to miss."

"I asked who you are."

When the strange man got close, he took a seat in the grass and sighed. "Man, I wish I could've talked to that pretty girl some more. She seems way too sweet a person to be hanging around you…"

"You're talking about Inoue…?" Ichigo asked. Who the hell was this guy?!

"That's her name?! I'll be sure to run into her again..."

After gritting his teeth, Ichigo pointed his sword in the man's direction. "That tears it! I'm going to have to-"

"Don't bother. You'd never beat me the way you are now."

"How do you-"

"You sure are clueless… Urahara sent me to help you train while he was away. He assured me your power was great, but I can tell I'm much stronger than you."

"Urahara sent you? Who the hell are you?!"

"The name's Hirako, Shinji. I'd say the pleasure's all mine, but this whole interaction we've had has been kind of annoying and unpleasant. So let's just skip the niceties. That move you just pulled, exposing your energy haphazardly, alerted most people in the area with Spiritual Pressure awareness to your position. It's usually done when you're in danger or are lost. But I guess you don't know that. And that's where I come in. I'm gonna help you train to control that overbearing Reiatsu of yours."

"My Reiatsu…? I  _have_  control over it."

"Not much, kid. Trust me. Also, I can also sense that other Reiatsu latched onto you. There's nothing I can do about that. It's something you'll have to take care of on your own time… unless you want to eventually end up bearing a chi- uh, well… never mind…"

"Can I get rid of it?" Ichigo asked, completely disregarding that last part. He was too busy hoping he could free himself from this nuisance, which is what he hoped Shinji meant by 'take care of'.

"I don't really know. I've never encountered anyone who has bonded, for lack of a better word, with someone so closely that this happened. I think only time will tell what your future holds. But that's completely irrelevant to me as it won't interfere with me training you. My comrades and I have a similar power to the one you have, mixed breed."

"Mixed breed…? What the hell do you mean by that?"

"Sheesh, you're  _such_  a half-wit…" Shinji said while shaking his head. "If you want to learn the truth about yourself, and if you want to get stronger, you'll come with me. Otherwise, you'll remain in the dark about what you are and you'll never be able to protect those friends of yours… let alone defeat that Espada who has accidentally marked you."

"Hirako… Shinji… What are your motives in helping me? What are you getting out of this?"

"Absolutely nothing. I owed Urahara a favor and he called me on it. Helping you was what he wanted me to do. That's it."

Ichigo stood silent, contemplating this situation. This man, and his so-called comrades, were willing to help him train and expected nothing out of it? It seemed a little shady. But… if Urahara trusted these people to help him while he was gone, then perhaps it wasn't that inauspicious. Plus, this guy knew something about him that he apparently didn't.

He wanted to find out what it was.

With his mind made up, Ichigo sheathed his sword and stuck out his hand to the man.

"What are you doing?" Shinji asked.

"I'm trying to help you up. If Urahara thinks me going with you is okay, then I will." The boy said with a smile.

"Save the benevolence for Hiyori. She's not nearly as friendly as I am." The blonde said, and then stood up on his own.

Once Shinji began walking, Ichigo took his place beside him. Noting that it was uncomfortably silent, he decided to make small talk. "Where are we going to train?" he asked.

"Somewhere you won't have to keep hiding your Reiatsu to keep that other one on you a secret."

"Right…" Ichigo said.

The fact that Inoue, and now Shinji, knew left him feeling a bit embarrassed.

Shaking his head, he realized there was work to do. With the help of these people, he felt that maybe he would be ready the next time he faced Grimmjow Jaegerjaques.


	12. chasing that spark of sexual excitement

Three weeks following Ichigo's escape from Grimmjow's living quarters in Los Noches palace…

Sitting alone in his massive bath tub was Grimmjow, soaking his problems away after a long day of hunting out in the lonely desert.

And he was awfully displeased. He had been ever since that night.

Things were going fine in his life until Yammy interrupted him for a meeting that fucking Tousen called. Tousen! For shit's sake, why would Grimmjow care if  _he_  called a meeting?

And thanks to that little incident, the Court Guard escaped.

Flashback

_A large hand shot through Grimmjow's bedroom door, causing his Reiatsu forcefield to shatter._

" _YO, GRIMMJOW! I got a bone to pick with you! And Tousen has called us for a meeting, so get your ass up!"_

_Both Ichigo and Grimmjow immediately looked to the doorway where the heavy doors crashed noisily to the ground._

_Pantera came inside from the terrace and stared down at the person who had caused the commotion in his master's room._

" _Oh! What's this!? In the middle of gettin' your freak on, I see!"_

" _Yammy, you fucking bastard!" Grimmjow shouted crossly._

" _Give the girl to me and I'll show her just how inadequate a man you are!" Yammy said, and then stepped inside the room._

_Grimmjow put his arm around Ichigo protectively and pulled him closer. So close in fact, he felt the boy's nose and lips press against his chest._

_The Espada was surprised when he felt two soft hands come up and rest gently on his back. Although it was unexpected and uncomfortable, he did not turn from facing Yammy. There was no telling what he would do. He needed to be ready for anything._

_When a knee shoot up forcefully into his groin, the man's blue eyes widened and his eyebrows jumped. He inhaled, held in the breath in for a second, and then doubled over in pain on top of the boy beneath him, "Fuuuucking bastard…!" he hissed._

_Panting heavily, he felt like if the pain of this moment wasn't so great, he would rip Ichigo's head off and shove it up his ass. He closed his blue eyes tightly and tried not to let a tear escape. Even for an Espada with their thick-shelled Hierro, reproductive organs were a point of vulnerability._

_Suddenly, he felt two hands press against his chest and lift him into the air._

_The next thing he felt surprised him._

_The Court Guard's lips pressed against his tenderly. He was so confused, enraged, and pained that he couldn't react to it; not even mentally._

_.After being pushed off to the side, Grimmjow gritted his teeth and watched as his prey slipped off the bed and then grabbed something before he made a break for the exit._

_He started seeing red when the Court Guard came up to Yammy and slowed down. Kurosaki was_ his _problem. If he put a hand on him…_

" _A- A MAN?! Grimmjow, you were bedding another man?!" Yammy shouted in his direction_.

" _Shut your fucking mouth…!" he responded._

_Through the pain emanating from his nether regions, Grimmjow put an arm on the bed to brace himself, and then got up. He had to stop the Court Guard from escaping._

_Reaching out, he made to grab his sword that had been dropped on the floor by the prick. It was an unsuccessful attempt, however, as he fell off of the bed and flat on his face._

_As soon as Pantera saw his master hit the floor, he hurried over to him and picked up the sword he had tried to get. "Grimmjow, get up! The boy has escaped!" he said, offering the sword to him._

_Said man sat up on his elbow and held his face and groin at the same time, trying to relieving the pain._

_Yammy folded his arms and laughed. "I don't know what kind of freak show you got going on here, Grimmjow, but Tousen wants to see us. Besides that, I heard you-"_

" _Get the fuck out of my face, Yammy! I could fucking murder you for ruining what I had going here! And for Tousen's sake at that! The only thing I want to hear from that kiss-ass is that Aizen told him I'll be the next king!" Grimmjow shouted so angrily that spit flew from his mouth._

" _You think you're even in the running for being the next king?!" Yammy said, and then flared his Reiatsu. "Your Reiatsu is nothing compared to mine!"_

_Pantera dropped the sword in Grimmjow's lap and started growling, ready to attack if necessary._

" _Don't bother with him, Pantera..." The Espada said, and then looked up to Yammy, "Get out of my quarters and tell Tousen he can suck it!"_

" _Oh I can't wait to hear what he has to say about all of this!" the larger Espada exclaimed, before he turned and left the room._

_Grimmjow put his arms on his bed, gripped his sheets, and then tried pulling himself up. The pain was a lot for him to handle, and he almost didn't make it. Just as he slipped, Pantera hurried over to him and used the top of his head to boost his master up onto the mattress._

" _Fucking hell…" the bluenette hissed._

" _Grimmjow, I told you to be on your guard. Had you taken my advice, none of this would have-"_

" _I know that! Rub it in my face, won't you?!"_

" _Will you be alright? You must be in pain…"_

 _Grimmjow gritted his teeth and then gripped his sheets in pure anger. That sneaky little weakling took advantage of the situation and got away. Not to mention he had tried to kill him with_ his own sword _before Yammy busted his Reiatsu forcefield and came into the room._

" _I'm gonna murder that weak little piece of shit when I see him again…"_

_Pantera crawled up onto the bed and laid down at the foot of it. Clearly his master needed him, so he would be as close to him as possible tonight._

End Flashback

From the bottom of the large tub, underneath the piping hot water and with his back to the tiled floor, Grimmjow blew bubbles up to the top. He had been trying to distract himself from any lingering thoughts about the Court Guard.

He had escaped  _three_  weeks ago. Three! It was time for him to move on from that and get stronger. Because the next time he crossed paths with the rat, he wouldn't hold back.

When he saw Pantera's fluid-like reflection appear above the water, he blew a few bubbles up at him. Pantera took it as a sign that he would be getting a bath, so he decided to leave the bathroom to avoid that happening.

Grimmjow, however, stayed in the tub for a while longer; swimming around underneath the water and soaking his thick-shelled skin as well.

After a while, though, he got pulled the plug out of the tub, and then got out of it. With a thick, white towel, he dried his hair, followed by the rest of his body, before leaving the bathroom as well.

As he laid naked in his bed, which was unnecessarily large for one person, he stared at the spot where he used to see a mess of orange hair sticking out from underneath the blankets when he woke up each morning. Ever since the boy had escaped, things were notably much… duller…

And thanks to him, two weeks ago Aizen had stripped him of his title as an Espada, and said he was on thin ice when it came to his candidacy for kingship in the future. Everything he had been working so hard for was practically being dismantled before his very eyes…  _"All because of_ him _…!"_

Angrily, Grimmjow sat up and called out for a concubine to enter his room.

An orange-haired woman entered and quickly walked over to his side. "How can I please you tonight, my lord?" she asked after bowing.

Her brown eyes met his blue ones, causing Grimmjow to smirk. "You already know what to do." He said.

After dropping her robe, the woman crawled into bed with him and then got on top of him. "Like this?" she asked, wanting to make sure she was positioned correctly.

"That's right." The bluenette responded, and then put his hands behind his head lazily. "Don't make me wait forever. Get to it already."

"R-right." Nervously, the girl grabbed hold of the man's soft, flimsy penis and tried her best to earn some sign of arousal from it, but when her efforts failed, she blushed. "Um… I- I can't do… anything with thi-"

"Sh-shut the hell up!" Grimmjow shouted angrily.

With slightly red-tinted cheeks, he roughly shoved her off of him and turned onto his side.

"Master Jaegerjaques-"

"GET OUT!"

The sound of Grimmjow shouting was something all the palace concubines feared greatly. And that was because he was one of the Espada who had no problem decapitating one of them if he was displeased. Right now, he seemed very embarrassed, and she knew that would only lead to her untimely end if she stayed and tried to console him.

Without hesitation, she slipped off of the bed, grabbed up her robe from off the floor, and then hurried out of the bedroom.

On the bed, Grimmjow was having a hard time dealing with his rather deprived sex drive lately. None of the palace concubines were able to get him going anymore.

Through gritted teeth, he realized that what he wanted, and needed, was the Court Guard. There was something about dominating him that was just so thrilling and entrancing that having sex with the women here couldn't live up to. After three weeks of dealing with them, he got nothing. He was unable to satisfy his sexual appetite with them because they willingly gave it up to him without a fight. There was never a point when any of them defied him simply because they didn't have to power to defend themselves against him.

The Court Guard was different. He was strong. And there had been a process of breaking him in. Not to mention there was always that looming threat of him standing up for himself one day. That was primarily because he, unlike the women, did not accept being a sex slave as his fate. He sought his freedom, and Grimmjow was damned to admit that by a stroke of luck he'd gotten it.

But now that was all gone. The little runt had taken all the excitement with him the night he got away.

Glancing down at his languid and all but erect penis, the bleunette sighed.  _"What the hell is wrong with me…?"_  he thought with a look of solemn defeat on his face.

* * *

A few days later…

Out in the desert, just a few miles away from Los Noches kingdom, was Grimmjow and his five Fracción.

Today was an all out training day, and Grimmjow decided that he would prove that the term "Espada" didn't mean anything when it came to his strength. Taking on all five of his men at once was the best way to demonstrate that, plus it was the perfect distraction from his failure in the bedroom lately.

"You're open, Grimmjow!" Shawlong said, and then charged the man.

"Think again!" the bluenette retorted, and then jumped into the air evasively.

All of his Fracción looked up in the direction of the sun, where Grimmjow had jumped to.

"I'm losing sight of him!" Edrad, the bulky red-haired one, shouted while covering his eyes protectively.

"Damn! What is that guy planning?!" Di Roy, the shark-toothed man added.

Grimmjow saw his chance and pointed his hand in the direction of his five confused men. The red light of his Cero appeared, and without a second thought, he fired five of them down at them.

One by one, each of the Ceros just barely missed their targets, as he'd intended for them to. When they hit the sand, five explosions erupted and kicked sand up in the process.

Yylfordt, the man with long, light blonde hair, looked up at Grimmjow angrily when he noticed that his hair had taken slight damage. "Are you losing your mind?! We are your subordinates, not your enemies! That was a little too close for comfort!" he shouted, his voice echoing across the sky and the barren land below.

Grimmjow drew his sword and used a Sonído to get behind his screaming follower.

Lifting his white blade, he pressed the cold steel against the other man's neck. "Are you questioning me, Yylfordt?"

After taking a deep gulp, Yylfordt lifted his hands defensively. "Master Grimmjow, calm down! We're not your enemies! I understand you've been frustrated since that kid… I… I mean… since-"

"What was that?!"

"Grimmjow, that's enough! Leave Yylfordt be!" Shawlong interrupted by speeding over to the two.

"Tch!" dismissively, Grimmjow lowered his weapon and then sheathed it. "Get out of my sight, all of you. We're done for today."

Nakeem, Edrad, Di Roy, and Yylfordt all followed that order, realizing that if they didn't, Grimmjow could very well turn on them in a fit of rage.

Shawlong, on the other hand, descended to the sand after his master did and came up beside him.

"Sir, do not think we have not taken note of your behavior since that boy escaped. We all have. And it's been difficult watching you suffer like you have been."

With little interest in Shawlong's words, Grimmjow stuck his hands into his pockets and began walking in the direction of Los Noches, ready to call it a day. He stopped abruptly, though, when he heard the next thing the other man said.

"This isn't the Grimmjow we believe in. That Grimmjow would take back what was his by whatever means necessary!"

With his blue eyes glued to the golden sand below, Grimmjow held his tongue.

"Grimmjow, if that boy was so influential on you, then you should take him back. Storm Seireitei kingdom and force him to return with you."

After turning around and staring Shawlong in the face, Grimmjow spoke, "You always did talk too much. But I never expected to hear such complete nonsense coming from your mouth."

"It's not nonsense. You took him before, even though you knew who he was and where he was from."

"That's because he was alone with two weak ass comrades! It's a different story when he's at home, surrounded by his commanding officers! I don't have the power to storm his kingdom in an attempt to take him back!"

"Do you know what I think, Grimmjow?"

"Enlighten me." Said man responded, uninterested.

"I think  _you're_  the one who is talking complete nonsense. You're clearly not the man you once used to be. Following Aizen has made you soft."

Grimmjow quickly grabbed hold of his sword and made to draw it, but he immediately realized that killing Shawlong would be a mistake on his part as he was probably the strongest Fracción he had. Eradicating him would be a foolish move, even for him.

"You've already been dismissed for the day, Shawlong. I suggest you follow the others' example and leave me alone."

"As you wish." The raven-haired man responded, and then headed back to the kingdom ahead of his master.

…

Once Shawlong had caught up with his fellow Fracción back inside the kingdom, he decided to speak to Yylfordt about a plan he had thought up as they walked through the kingdom, heading for the palace.

Unbeknownst to him, Grimmjow was in earshot as he made his way back up on the roofs of the peasants' homes and stores.

"What's this plan?" Yylfordt asked curiously.

"It's simple. We're going to get the boy back for our master."

"Oh yeah? And how would we go about doing that?"

"We're going to silently storm Seireitei kingdom and take him. However, he won't go without a fight, this I know. So I'll need a scout to go ahead of the battalion and find out a weakness of his. We will use this weakness to bribe him to come back with us."

"Well that sounds like a good plan, but how would we get into the kingdom in the first place? I doubt they'd just let military personnel from our kingdom just waltz right in after what Grimmjow did. Relationships between our kingdoms are strained right now..."

"We'll have to go posed as traders."

"Okay. So what about this scout? Who is that going to- oh no! No, no! Not me! I'm way too noticeable."

"Not if you put on a disguise and mask your Reiatsu. You could enter the kingdom posed as a gypsy or a traveler from the lands to the Western border of the continent. Your mask is the most concealable, after all."

"Why would I want to go through with this, Shawlong?" the blonde asked.

"Because you're obviously the one who can't hold his tongue about what goes on in Master Grimmjow's personal life."

Yylfordt slowed his pace as the two of them got close to the palace. Grimmjow  _had_  been pretty insufferable lately. And spending some time away from him did sound appealing.

"Fine. I'll go to Seireitei and find out what I can about this kid. But what should I do once I have?"

"We're going to rendezvous with you inside the kingdom in a few days, and you can join us in the operation to take the boy with us."

With a devious smirk, Yylfordt held out his hand. When Shawlong raised an eyebrow, he decided to clue him in. "If I'm going to be in Seireitei alone for a few days, I'll at least need accommodations. I'm sure you have the extra coin to satisfy those needs, right? This  _is_  your plan, remember?"

"Of course. I knew you wouldn't go without some encouragement. Is helping our master not enough for you? And do you not have your own coin to take care of yourself?" the raven-haired man asked, before pulling out his wallet.

"I'm all for keeping my head attached to my shoulders where Grimmjow is concerned, but why should I sacrifice my own money for something you thought up?" Yylfordt asked.

Shawlong pulled out a few golden coins and put them into his comrade's hand. "Do not waste any time. In his current condition, while I don't think he will care where one of his subordinates has disappeared to, Master Grimmjow cannot continue on with the palace concubines alone. If we don't act fast, I don't know what he will do…"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm going." Before parting ways, Yylfordt turned to Shawlong. "What do we do if this mission goes wrong?"

With an air of sincerity and seriousness, Shawlong replied, "If we are to fail, at least we'd know we were doing what was necessary for our master's well being."

"Right…"

"Good luck to you, Yylfordt."

"Thanks. Try not to get killed by you know who while I'm gone." The blonde replied.

Without another word, the two of them parted ways; Shawlong heading to the palace, and Yylfordt to the kingdom gates.

Up on the rooftop, Grimmjow, having heard the entire exchange, shook his head as he watched Yylfordt disappear into the crowd of peasants. There was no way this little plan of theirs would work.

Still, it was interesting to see the two more intelligent members of his Fracción working together for his sake.

Dismissive on the matter, he decided to head back to the palace.

* * *

Five days following Yylfordt's departure from Los Noches…

It was after dark now in the kingdom, and Grimmjow was in the middle of another attempt with a concubine. While he had been able to get himself excited, this little round of theirs had carried on without climax for at least twenty minutes.

As the woman beneath him moaned, he remained completely uninterested in her.

After a few more thrusts of him overcompensating for his utter lack of attraction to her, Grimmjow was surprised when she reached her limit and cried out in pleasure.

It was so unappealing to him that he immediately pulled out of her.

"Are you alright, My Lord? I can't help but notice that you didn't-"

"Say another word and I'll fire a Cero down your dick hole." The bluenette interrupted.

Looking down, he saw the mess she had made and was unsatisfied about it to say the least. That should have been  _his_  mess.  _She_  should be the one left feeling used. But no, with a content smile on her face, she was staring up at him.

It was disgusting.

"Get out of my room." He said.

"Y- yes sir!" the woman replied, and got off of the bed.

Just as she was leaving the room, Pantera entered with a bag on his tail.

Staring at his master's backside as he sat up with his knees outspread on the bed, he could already tell what had happened.

"What do you want?" Grimmjow asked, without even needing to turn around.

"I need to talk to you."

"I'm listening."

"You know I only want what's best for you, Grimmjow."

When his panther walked over to the bed, Grimmjow noticed the medical bag of the Court Guard hanging on his tail and sighed. "What the hell am I supposed to do…?" he asked.

Almost surprised at the man's unusual need for another's advice, Pantera lifted the bag and put it down in front of him.

After closing his cerulean eyes for a moment to think, Grimmjow opened them and looked down to his spirit animal.

"Only you know what to do to make yourself happy again, Grimmjow." The panther stated, and then left his master's side. It was no mistake that he left the medical bag in front of the man.

* * *

Early dawn.

Shawlong, having convinced the other three members of Grimmjow's Fracción to accompany him, stood with them at the kingdom gates. They were the only ones out at this hour, apart from the gate guards.

Dressed in the humble, and stolen, clothes of a few traders, Di Roy, Nakeem, and Edrad were all on board with the mission to take back what belonged to their master. After all, if he belonged to him, he was also partially theirs as well.

"So where's Yylfordt?" Nakeem, the portliest of the group, asked.

"That's right. He's been missing for near six days." Di Roy added.

"I thought this through not long before his 'disappearance' and decided that he would be the scout of this operation. He is in Seireitei as we speak, collecting intelligence on our target."

"What kind of intelligence?" Edrad asked.

"A weakness. Everyone has one. And we're going to use the Court Guard's weakness against him." Shawlong replied.

"That seems like a cowardly thing to do." Di Roy commented.

"It is assurance that he will come with us, and a necessary step to prevent the Court Guard Captains from interfering with this mission. If he does not fight, no one will know he's in danger."

"Whatever the means, I'm getting that Court Guard back."

Shawlong, Di Roy, Edrad, and Nakeem all turned at the sound of that voice, and were surprised to see their master walking towards them.

"Master Grimmjow!" Shawlong said.

"You look like you've seen a ghost." Said man responded. "Tell me, did you really think I didn't know what was going on when Yylfordt disappeared? I've known about this little plan of yours the whole time."

"I… Master, are you planning to accompany us?"

"What the fuck does it look like?"

"Your… interference was not anticipated… I don't know how we're going to smuggle you into Seireitei…"

"We've got this big ass wagon full of hay." Edrad said, referring to the wagon they had stolen from one of the merchants in town. "Hide him in there until we get inside the kingdom."

Everyone turned to Grimmjow expectantly.

"You expect me to hide away like some coward while my prey is waiting for me?" the bluenette asked angrily.

"It would only be temporary. We'll need you to mask your Reiatsu when we reach the outskirts of Seireitei, which should be when we reach the grassy plains." Shawlong replied.

Grimmjow stuck his hands into his pockets. "Fine! But I'm not staying in that damned thing for too long!"

"That's fine. You should be able to move about freely when we enter the kingdom, so long as you keep your Reiatsu hidden. And…" After remembering that no one in Seireitei had skeletal masks or holes on their bodies, Shawlong walked over to one of the stores and entered it, breaking the lock on the door to do so.

It took a moment, but he found what he was looking for.

Upon coming back to the group, in his hand he held a large, brown, hooded cloak and held it out in Grimmjow's direction. "You'll need to wear this if you're going to be searching for the Court Guard."

"The hell I will! Get that thing out of my face!" the bluenette replied.

"Master Grimmjow, please be more cooperative. You'll stand out like a sore thumb with your mask exposed. Ours are concealed beneath these hideous getups, so you should do the same. At least you'd look mysterious and dark; unlike we do in our attire."

"We look like fucking idiots." Di Roy added.

Rolling his eyes, Grimmjow snatched the cloak from Shawlong and tossed it over his shoulder.

"Let's get moving! I want to reach Seireitei by the end of the day." He said.

"Right." Shawlong agreed.

With Seireitei in his sights, Grimmjow exited Los Noches with his men behind him. It was time for him to reclaim his sexual spark that was in the form of an orange-haired weakling.


	13. perilous vision and proposition

Looking eastward towards the sun that had risen a little while ago, Grimmjow scowled in complete dissatisfaction. It had taken his group over a day to travel through the desert just to reach the  _outskirts_  of Seireitei. "We should have been here much sooner than this." He said in Shawlong's direction.

"Yes, well having the wagon was a bit of a miscalculation. Had we been without you, we could have abandoned it and moved much faster. Regardless, we are here now. And that means you need to go along with your part of the plan." Shawlong responded.

Grimmjow rolled his eyes and grabbed the cloak from the wagon. He quickly put it on and then continued walking, but stopped and turned around when he noticed that his subordinates were not following him. "What's the hold up?"

Edrad, Di Roy, Nakeem, and Shawlong stared at him, each from their respective corners of the wagon.

"Get moving! This isn't a joke!" Grimmjow shouted.

" _You_  gotta get in the wagon." Di Roy said, pointing to it with his thumb.

"Uh- Tch! There's no way that's happening!" The bluenette retorted, and then turned to keep going up the trail that would get him into Seireitei.

"Master Grimmjow, you promised." Shawlong said.

"Like hell I did!" said man called from over his shoulder.

"The operation will fail if you are found out. You can get out of the wagon after we enter the kingdom and are out of sight."

Honestly, Shawlong felt like he was talking to a child…

Angrily, Grimmjow marched back to the group and got into the wagon on top of the hay.

When no one moved, he looked down at them. "What now!?"

Di Roy smirked, climbed up the pile of hay, and then put his hands on Grimmjow's shoulders. "Now you know you'll have to hide  _under_  the hay, right? Otherwise we're gonna look real stupid… or… stupider than we already do." Without remorse, he pushed the man down and then started piling hay on top of him.

"Now that that's over, can we get going?" Edrad asked when Di Roy jumped down to the ground.

Shawlong nodded. "Right. We cannot afford to waste any time. Who knows what Yylfordt's gotten himself into…" he said, and then started walking.

Edrad and Nakeem took the wagon by the handles on the front and followed after him with Di Roy close behind them.

…

The group came to a halt when the guards at the admissions station of Seireitei's main entrance stepped out to inspect them.

"Who are you all?" one of the guards asked, while the other two took a look around the wagon.

Nakeem remained silent, and Di Roy and Edrad looked at each other nervously. They hadn't really come up with that part... It had slipped their minds. It was probably the most important part of this plan.

All three of them looked at Shawlong nervously, hoping he'd pull through for them.

The taller man bowed to the guard in front of him with the clipboard who had asked the question. "We are simply humble merchants looking to sell some fine hay to the cultivators of your fair kingdom. The horses will absolutely love it, I promise that on my father's business." He lied.

"Is that so?" the guard asked while jotting something down on his paper.

"T- that's right! There's something very  _special_  in this hay they might just die for." Di Roy added.

When the guard turned and looked at the hay curiously, Shawlong harshly stomped Di Roy's foot as subtly as he could, causing the shorter man to double over in pain and curse under his breath.

"Where exactly do you come from?" the guard asked.

"We come from the lands to the west near the plains. You probably haven't heard of us since not many people pay attention to the smaller towns outside the kingdoms."

"Hm, I see your point. I hope your town is doing okay."

"We're doing just fine."

"You know, I heard there was some kind of attacks going on near the town that has that temple with the giant lightning rod. Is your town anywhere near there?"

"No. We're off to ourselves. We have heard about those mock crusades, though."

Edrad rolled his eyes. This conversation seemed pretty pointless to him, but if Shawlong was good at anything, it was talking his way out of a tough situation.

"Hey, everything appears to be okay." One of the other two guards said from behind the wagon while holding his thumb up.

"Alright. You all may enter. Enjoy your trip through our kingdom. And have a safe trip back to the western plains." The guard said, and then went back into the admissions station.

"Thank you, sir!" Shawlong said, and then began walking.

Edrad and Nakeem took their places at the handles of the wagon again and started pulling it after him.

Di Roy massaged his foot consolingly before he followed the pack.

...

Grimmjow, nearly bored out of his mind, lifted just enough hay so he could see what was going on; his cerulean eyes glowing from the shadows. What he noticed as he was being pulled down what he presumed was the main street of this kingdom was the difference in culture this place had from his home. The people were all smiling and happy with their jobs, most everyone was dressed in nice clothes, and even the animals seemed content about just wandering around aimlessly.

It spoke to the Court Guard's nature. This place suited him so well, didn't it?

When he saw someone giving a child some money, he grimaced.  _"No wonder he didn't want me to kill that kid. Shit like this must happen every day in this god forsaken kingdom. Too bad he won't be coming back to this place ever again."_  he thought with a smirk.

Shawlong noticed when the crowds of people got smaller since the area they had traveled to was much less active. It was then he decided to instruct everyone to duck off into an alley.

"That would have been less obvious if we weren't pulling a wagon full of hay." Edrad commented once they were successfully out of sight.

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?!" Grimmjow asked angrily, sticking his hooded head out of the hay.

"Enough. We need to wait for Yylfordt. It'd be to our advantage if we aren't found out while we do." Shawlong said seriously. He walked over to and then leaned his back against one of the walls in the alley.

Grimmjow climbed out from under the hay and sat on top of it.

Something else he noticed about this place was that even the alleyways seemed warm and inviting. Looking to the ground, he noticed that instead of dirt or trash, like in Los Noches, these alleys' grounds were neatly bricked.

"This place makes me want to barf. It's way too perfect." Edrad said, and then sat down next to the wagon.

"Well, this kingdom is governed by their Head Captain, and he answers to the high king of the land. Since this is the secondary kingdom of Earthia's ultimate ruler, it had best be neat and orderly, otherwise, what would that say about him?" Shawlong commented.

"It still makes me wanna barf." The redhead reiterated.

After a while of waiting patiently, Grimmjow pulled his hood off and then laid back on the hay, boredom taking hold of him. The light from the sun soon found its way to the alley and lit it up, causing him to roll his eyes.

Edrad nailed it when he said this place was too perfect. It was too lacking in what felt like reality to him. Which was the pain, crime, and strife known throughout most of Los Noches's backstreets.

A few children ran through the alley past their group, playing a game of tag or something. A woman came out from one of the shops and put a bag of trash into the garbage can. Another woman hung her laundry on a line from the third story of one of the buildings. A few birds came and landed around Grimmjow, chirping irritatingly to no end.

"Get lost!" he shouted, and sat up to scare them away.

Effortlessly, he shattered the silence and serenity that had enveloped the area.

"Master Grimmjow, keep your voice down!" Shawlong hissed.

"I can't take this shit anymore! Where the hell is Yylfordt!?" said man brooded.

"Right above you, Master Grimmjow!"

Everyone looked up to the rooftops. And there he was. Yylfordt, standing confidently, grinning from ear to ear, and looking down at them.

"It's about damned time." Grimmjow stated.

"Did you guys miss me?"

"Not really." Di Roy answered.

"It was actually quiet back home for once." Nakeem muttered.

"Whatever…" the blonde said, and then jumped onto the hay next to Grimmjow.

"What took you so long to get to us?" Shawlong asked.

"Sorry, I had to travel without Sonídoing in order to keep my Reiatsu from becoming too noticeable. If those Court Guards found out I was here, they'd have sought me out and the plan would've been ruined."

"So what intelligence did you gather on our target?"

"I found out a sure way to get the boy to come with us." Yylfordt said, and started playing with some hay.

"Out with it!" Grimmjow shouted.

"Sheesh… impatient as always…"

"Quit stalling and tell us!" Di Roy ordered.

"Hey, you're not the boss of me!" Yylfordt retorted. When he turned and saw Grimmjow's face turning red, he cleared his throat. "Well, he's got a woman. I don't know much about her, or if she's his girlfriend or anything, but he definitely seems to have a soft spot for her. I watched him a few nights and noticed he was extra protective of her. He made sure to walk her home whenever she visited him while he was doing whatever it was he did in that strange candy shop. She seems pretty weak, so we should be able to capture her easily. The problem is I think he'll most likely fight to get her back."

"Really…?" Grimmjow asked, mostly to himself, though.

"That's right. But uh… what will we do about the other Court Guards? If he fights, they're surely going to step in to help him."

Grimmjow jumped down from the top of the hay and dusted himself off before speaking, "Fuck it! Take them on! They're gonna come to his aid if they sense him fighting anyway, so keep them busy at any cost. I'm going to take him on alone. Nakeem, I want you to take care of the girl. Don't kill her unless I give the order."

"Right."

"Master, you agreed to a silent operation where we would take the boy without incident!" Shawlong said.

"Look who's being soft now." Grimmjow responded condescendingly.

"But-"

"Are you going to disobey me, Shawlong?"

"… I'd never dream of it, sir."

"Hey, how will Nakeem know what girl to look for? I'm the one who saw her." Yylfodt said.

"Give him a visual. I need you to fight, Yylfordt." Grimmjow said.

"Che… fine…" the blonde responded.

He wanted to take the girl and possibly work his charms on her...

The bluenette turned to the group after Yylfordt showed Nakeem who to capture. "Okay. Everyone," he began, "your objectives are clear. Nakeem takes the girl, everyone else is to keep these pathetic Court Guards out of my way. Do not fail me!"

"Right." Edrad said.

Di Roy cracked his neck and knuckles excitedly. "It's about time, now the fun begins!" he shouted with a wicked grin.

"Move out!" Grimmjow said, and then raised his hand dismissively.

With that, all five of his subordinates disappeared from his side. After spitefully kicking the wagon of hay over, he jumped to the rooftop above and then tore in the direction he felt the Court Guard Kurosaki's Reiatsu coming from with a smirk of exhilaration.

* * *

Sitting alone in Byakuya's garden was Ichigo. He had taken Rukia's advice and decided that on his day off, today, he would meditate.

After picking up a cherry blossom petal that had fallen beside him, he sighed. That Espada's... or previous Espada's... Reiatsu still seemed to be hugged up with his, and it was driving him crazy trying to rid himself of it.

Meditating seemed like the best option to regulate his thoughts, and mentally and physically prepare himself for the next time he had to fight. The thing that calmed and distracted him from that was how glad he was that war hadn't broken out between Seireitei and Los Noches because of what Grimmjow had done.

" _Most importantly, Rukia and Renji are alive. Plus, I'm not his sex slave anymore…"_  he thought with a content smile.

Looking to the blue sky above, he knew he'd have to do everything in his power to keep everyone safe.

When his training began, Shinji had asked him something along the lines of, "Without control, can you call it power?"

Well, it had been at least a month. He was sure he had more control over his Reiatsu now; even with Grimmjow's attached to it.

"I'd better start meditating…" he commented, realizing that he was wasting time.

After getting into a meditative pose, he closed his eyes and took in the plentiful sounds of the garden. The flowing water in the stream a few feet away from him, the birds singing their songs on the branches of the cherry blossom trees, the fish splashing about every so often, it was all exceptionally relaxing.

It took a while for him to reach his point of concentration, but when did, he felt everything fade away and he was left in complete darkness.

It was… frightening...

"There isn't a speck of light in sight…" he said.

Then, without warning, a radiant light shined in front of him. His father, Karin, and Yuzu's smiling faces appeared inside it, and then vanished. In his subconscious state of mind, he reached out for them in order to get them back. However, he was unable to reach them as they had been long gone from his sight.

A multitude of others emerged. Matsumoto, Ikkaku, Yumichika, Hinamori, Kira, and Hisagi appeared, but all quickly vanished into the darkness just like his family had. Then Rukia and Byakuya did the same. Renji, Chad, Senna, and Ishida followed after them. Nelliel, Kon, Pantera, and a bird that resembled a phoenix, were the next ones to go.

A golden light suddenly surrounded him, shining some light on his surroundings, and he looked up to see tears running down Inoue's beautiful face. She was doing her best to save him, her voice echoing as she begged him not to die.

"What's going on…?" he asked himself in shock, his voice echoing about in the darkness as well.

After rising from the ground, he saw his body lying in a pool of blood that was seeped into some kind of foreign pattern beneath him and Inoue.

"What the- agh!"

Suddenly, he was in darkness again. Things faded in once more and the next thing he witnessed was all of Earthia turning into a desolate wasteland. Trees were decaying, water was scarce and what remained of it was polluted, and the sky was dark and ominous as though the sun had never existed…

"What is this?!" he asked in pure horror.

" _You can save it… And you can save them… You will gain the power to save everything… with his help…"_  a benevolent, feminine voice called out to him.

He was drawn from all of the disturbing visions that were clouded in darkness by something warm. It was a pair of arms that he swore he recognized, but he didn't know where he recognized them from.

He was now in light, surrounded by tiny bursts of vibrant energy.

When he tried to reach out and grab hold of one, a streak of light blue energy appeared in front of him. The gravity around him became heavy and he fell to his knees.

Ichigo's eyes shot open and he fell forward, gasping for air and sweating, "What did I just see…?!" he asked aloud.

It was then that he noticed the increase in gravity wasn't part of his vision, it was actually due to a Reiatsu being forced onto him.

Turning around, Ichigo was shocked to see Grimmjow standing on the roof. He was looking down at him with his sword over his shoulder and a scowl on his face. "Why are you here?! How did you find me?!" he asked with wide eyes.

"There are much more important things to discuss." Grimmjow responded. "There's someone I think you should see." He continued, and then smirked.

When Grimmjow snapped his fingers, a screen appeared in thin air. Ichigo stood up with wide eyes as he saw Inoue being held by a large man who was holding a sword to her neck. As soon as he saw a tear escape her eye, he blared his Reiatsu violently.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?!" he shouted crossly.

"Do you want to see her head rolling at her feet?" Grimmjow asked with a wicked grin.

"LET HER GO! SHE'S DONE NOTHING TO DESERVE-"

"It doesn't matter what she has or hasn't done! She's simply a pawn in this situation, nothing more and nothing less."

Ichigo bawled his hands up into fists, digging his fingernails into the palm of his hands. "GRIMMJOW!" he roared heatedly.

As he stared up at the man, he wondered where the hell the captains were right now. How could Inoue have been kidnapped without someone noticing?! How had Grimmjow gotten into the kingdom without being noticed?!

"I've got a neat little proposition for you, Court Guard."

"FUCK YOU! LET INOUE GO!"

With a grin, Grimmjow lifted his sword and thrust it into the spot on the roof next to his foot before he continued. "I'll have the girl released if  _and only if_  you fight me and are able to defeat me. However, if you cannot win, you are to come back with me to Los Noches. What say you to that?"

"What happens to Inoue if I lose?!" Ichigo asked. Honestly, there was no choice in the matter, which is why he didn't even consider not fighting.

Besides having kidnapped Inoue, Grimmjow was an intruder in his kingdom. That meant he had to be dealt with.

"Who knows? If I'm feeling in a good mood, I might let her live. She's not the reason I came here, anyway."

"Grimmjow…! I'll stop you one way or another!" Ichigo said, and then picked up Zangetsu.

Grimmjow started laughing maniacally, so much so that his jaw-like skeletal mask opened proportionately. That look of scorn and malice... This is what he'd come to this pitiful kingdom for!


	14. wings of universe, a fleeting ability

Practically soaring through the kingdom in search of any Reiatsu that was above that of an average human's, Di Roy flashed his spaced out teeth when he finally picked one up. "Heheeeh! I'll kill 'em dead!" he howled excitedly over the wind, speeding towards the person.

He laughed as the aftermath of his Sonído caused people who had yet to evacuate the area to fall over. The looks of pure terror in their eyes and screams they gave as they saw him only furthered his desire to see something dead at his feet.

"There you are!" he said when he reached his target. Coming to a complete halt on one of the rooftops in the Karakura division of the kingdom, he leered down at the dark-skinned, brown-haired man who was considerably large compared to the other people he'd seen walking around this uppity kingdom.

Chad noticed the Arrancar's presence and looked up with wide eyes when he felt how powerful his Reiatsu was. "Who… who are you?" he asked.

"It's useless for me to tell you who I am, considering I'm about to wipe you out! It'd be nothing but a waste of my time and breath." Di Roy responded.

When the malicious man charged towards him with his hand outstretched, Chad lifted his arm, "Brazo Derecha-"

"Too late!" Di Roy shouted.

A loud clang echoed down the street and a gust of wind blew at the grass and trees along the sidewalk.

"I think not, Arrancar!"

Chad stood stock still, his eyes wide open, staring at Rukia, who had intercepted the attack.

Hand gripping the girl's white blade that glistened lavender in the sunlight, Di Roy looked Rukia up and down. "Who the hell are you?" he asked.

"Chad, are you okay?" the girl asked her comrade, ignoring Di Roy's question completely.

"Rukia…"

"I'll take care of this. You go and make sure everyone else is okay. I'm worried about Ishida and Inoue. Not to mention Tatsuki and the others."

"… But…" Chad remained in place, still feeling very vulnerable. What had appeared of his shield arm vanished and he looked to the ground.

"It's okay, Chad. You were off guard, and it's not your fault. These guys attacked us out of the blue-"

"I ASKED WHO THE FUCK YOU ARE!" Di Roy interrupted, clenching the blade in his hand furiously.

Rukia turned to the man and grinned. "I'm under no obligation to answer that, intruder."

"Tch! Fuck you!"

"Get going, Chad!"

"R-right…" the large man responded, and then took off searching for Inoue's Reiatsu. If he was lucky, she would have at least been with Tatsuki and Honsho.

Releasing Rukia's blade and stepping back from her, Di Roy smirked. He didn't think it'd take very long to defeat this girl. She looked even weaker than the big guy. "This won't take long. And when I'm done with you, I'll take out that other guy!"

"Hmph, if you're feeling confident, then why haven't you attacked me? Too weak to back those words up?"

"Y-you little bitch! I'll tear your fucking heart out!"

Angrily, Di Roy charged at Rukia, aiming his hand at the girl's chest. He was going in for the kill!

His hand clashed against the girl's blade, the force of his attack enough to send her flying backwards.

Catching her footing on the telephone pole she was about to crash into, Rukia was about to counter, but Di Roy was over to her in an instant, and he grabbed her by the neck. "Now it's time to rip out this smug fucking throat of yours!" he shouted.

"Gyah!" the girl cried out in pain, gripping his arm with her free hand.

"You were never a match for me!" Before he could kill her, the ground started glowing in a circle around the two of them. When ice started building around his feet and lower calves, Di Roy quickly broke it and jumped into the air to avoid being frozen, dropping the girl in the process. "Stupid bitch! That trick will never beat anyo- huh!?"

A beam of ice shot up from the circle of white light, encasing the belligerent man in a cylinder of ice that stretched up to the limitless sky.

"*huff* *huff* Sorry… but I can't afford… to die here…" Rukia panted as she stood up in front of her tower of ice.

Bringing her hands to her neck soothingly, she wondered if there were going to be marks on it. But there was no time for her to celebrate or relax just yet. She could feel Ichigo's Reiatsu blaring, and knew she needed to get to him.

"Hang on, Ichigo! I'm on my way!" she said, and then started running in the direction she felt his energy coming from.

* * *

"Heh! Are you supposed to be my opponent?" Edrad asked, sizing the man in just a ways ahead of him.

"Well, you invaded my kingdom and caused havoc to the townspeople. I don't have any choice but to take you down." Ikkaku responded, his shaved head shining in the sunlight.

The two of them were standing out in the wide, evacuated main street of Seireitei. From where he stood, Edrad could see the kingdom's massive headquarters in the distance. That's where he had been headed because that's where five of the strongest Reiatsu were coming from.

He looked behind the man with the shaved head to the other man who was sitting at an outside table of one of the emptied restaurants and looking bored as he ran his fingers through his dark, shoulder-length hair.

"Try not to take too long, okay Ikkaku? I had plans today, and I'm not one for letting brutes like him interrupt them." Yumichika said.

"I'm not going with you anyway, so why don't you just go now?" Ikkaku responded after turning and looking back over his shoulder at his companion.

"Yeah, but most of the captains are out on business or missions. It's our job to deal with threats while they're gone. So I can't just leave. It'd tarnish my pride as a Court Guard."

"Yeah yeah…" Ikkaku said, and turned back to Edrad. "Let's not draw this out, alright?"

"Wouldn't dream of it." Edrad smirked.

* * *

Also headed towards the central headquarters, where he could sense the most powerful Reiatsu, was Shawlong. He wasn't planning to storm the place like Edrad, but he did plan to keep a close watch to make sure none of the captains headed to where Grimmjow was.

After getting to the gates of the Thirteen Courts, he was surprised when wall of ice stopped him from advancing any further.

Turning around, he was faced with a tan, white-haired young man with light teal eyes who was glaring at him.

"And just who might you be?" he asked, drawing his sword in the process. "Judging from your Reiatsu, you're one of the captains… but how did you manage to get around me? I never felt a thing."

"I'm much more skilled than you think, Arrancar. As head of the Tenth Division of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, I cannot turn a blind eye to this treachery. I take it Aizen is now working against us? Or are you fools just a rogue platoon?"

"What does it matter? We're here, so why are the other four captains not joining in on this fight?"

It was strange that only one of the thirteen captains had stepped out to fight. In fact, it seemed that there were only five signatures that registered as captains…

"Head Captain Yamamoto trusts that I can take you on. The others are kind of busy at the moment." Tōshirō said.

It wasn't so much as busy… Captain Kurotsuchi said he was too busy with his research on frost fusions* to do this 'plebeian job', and Ukitake was in recovery from spending too much time in the sun under Unohana's watchful eye. Apart from them, he was the only other captain who did not have a mission outside of the kingdom. This was just what he needed, too. Dealing with Aizen's subordinates since he had been advised not to attend the meeting the last time his followers raised their hand against one of Seireitei's soldiers was fantastic. Yamamoto had been sure his temper and feelings about what Aizen had done to Hinamori would prevent him from keeping a level head while looking Aizen in the face, so he asked him to sit out of the meeting.

"I know Aizen is up to no good, and I knew it the moment he betrayed Seireitei. You lackeys have only furthered my suspicions with your foolish actions." The tan-skinned youth said.

"Think whatever you want, little man. Your reasoning will be meaningless when you're dead at my feet."

"You think so, huh?"

"Oh I'm very sure." Shawlong said assuredly, and then released his Zanpakutō.

With shards of ice already floating around him, Tōshirō closed his eyes contemptuously. "I have no choice but to put an end to you here. It's nothing personal… Bankai… Daiguren Hyōrinmaru!"

* * *

On top of two buildings that were across the street from one another were Renji and Yylfordt.

"Hmm, I was looking for a captain to fight. You're not a captain." Yylfordt said, scorn and condescension clear in his voice.

Renji smirked and stuck his thumb against his chest confidently. "I'm a Lieutenant! Most of our captains are busy at the moment." he said, knowing it wouldn't be the best idea to let the enemy know that more than half of their captains were currently out of the kingdom. "Our Head Captain sensed you fools and said none of your Reiatsu posed any threat to us."

"Rrgh… Don't you  _dare_  look down on us, cocky bastards!" the blonde man shouted, clenching his fists furiously. "Your confidence will be your downfall!"

"Speak for yourself! I don't know what the hell is going on, but it  _seems_  like you all are declaring a war against us. Then again, you're all just lowly followers, aren't you? Not even Espada. I don't think Aizen wouldn't be stupid enough to send the underlings of his underlings to fight... or maybe I'm mistaken…"

"Heheh. What you bastards don't know is that there  _is_  an Espada among us… well, someone with the power of an Espada that is."

Wide-eyed, Renji figured he already knew who it was. He turned when he felt Ichigo's Reiatsu blaring, and was immediately one hundred percent sure it was that Espada from that time outside of Los Noches kingdom's gate. "Ichigo…" he mumbled concernedly.

"You'd best worry about yourself. You may not survive this attack!" Yylfordt said from right up behind him, and then made to stab the confident redhead.

"Rrgh!" Renji grunted, lifting his sword defensively to counter.

"Let me show you the difference between your power and mine!" the blonde shouted, and released his Zanpakutō.

Jumping back on the building behind him, Renji didn't even wait for the smoke to clear to make his move. He lifted his own Zanpakutō and grinned. "I'll show you that underestimating our kingdom is your biggest mistake… Baaankaaii! Hihio! Zabimaruuu!" he shouted.

"Let's get down to business then!" Yylfordt said, jetting through the smoke at the other man.

* * *

"Hragh!" Ichigo cried out as he was sent tumbling through the city from one of Grimmjow's powerful kicks.

After crashing through six buildings, he realized he had to get away from the city if he wanted to spare any innocent lives, not to mention keep his friends from interfering with his battle. It was already on a level none of them could handle.

It sounded like a good idea, but he doubted Grimmjow would let him leave the area so easily. He seemed to love destroying things, after all.

With a long grunt, Ichigo picked himself up and knocked the heavy rubble off of him. He then hopped up on top of the building next door to the one he'd crashed into so he wouldn't be in such an enclosed space.

" _I can't leave the city until I find Inoue…"_  Taking a deep breath, he sent out his Reiatsu in all directions to search for her energy. If she was being held, chances are it was spiking uncontrollably.

" _Where are they holding you, Inoue!?"_ he thought, getting anxious as he felt Grimmjow's massive Reiatsu approaching him.

Breaking his concentration and lifting his sword, he guarded against a lethal strike from the other man.

"You'd better pay attention, or you're gonna end up dead!"

"Don't you tell me what to do!" Ichigo retorted.

For what felt like forever, he fended Grimmjow off, doing his best to try and find Inoue in the process. It was no easy task, either. Concentrating on two things, that one normally had to devote all their attention to, nearly cost him gravely more than once.

"You're wasting your time and Reiatsu searching for her while trying to fight me at the same time!" Grimmjow shouted. He could feel Ichigo's energy depleting from overexertion, and knew he'd be able to defeat him soon if he kept searching for the girl.

Though he really didn't want to, Ichigo temporarily gave up on searching for Inoue. The best time to find her would be  _after_  he defeated Grimmjow. If he lost this battle, it would be pointless knowing where she was, anyway.

Turning from defending to all out offense, he charged the larger man and struck his blade as many times as he possibly could. Although he hated to admit it, Grimmjow was right. Searching for Inoue and fighting for so long had definitely taken its toll on him.

"Ichigo! Your Reiatsu is almost gone!" Zangetsu warned.

"I know…!" the boy responded telepathically.

Staring at the former Espada who seemed full of energy, he figured the best thing for him to do would be to release his new power while he still had the chance. So that's exactly what he did.

"Come forth, wings of universe!" he shouted, lifting his sword skyward.

As soon as he did, a wave of radiant energy descended to him from the blue sky, and circled him twice. Once it touched him, steam started emanating from his body, surrounding him in a cloud of steam.

At first, Grimmjow was shocked that the Court Guard still had another power to call on. But that shock soon vanished as he stood in place, grinning from ear to ear, wondering just how much of a challenge it would provide. When the steam cleared, he immediately noticed there was something different about the boy. From where he was, he thought he was seeing wings of white energy on Ichigo's back that glistened as though there were stars or some other form of cosmic energy fueling them.

"What the hell is that?!" he shouted. The weight of this form was nearly unbearable, and he wasn't even that close to him.

"Sorry, but I don't have time to explain it to you. I can't keep this power for long, so I'll end this quickly." The boy responded seriously.

In about three seconds flat, he closed the open space between himself and Grimmjow, swinging his sword at him unmercifully.

"Tch!" Grimmjow grunted, and lifted his blade to defend.

The two of them stayed in place like that for a few seconds, until Ichigo jumped above him and called on the power of his Getsuga Tensho. It was so powerful and heavy that it sent Grimmjow flying towards the ground.

"I won't give you time to recover." Ichigo said, and flew after him at breakneck speed.

Lifting his hand as he fell, Grimmjow charged a Cero and fired it at Ichigo, who stopped and took it head on.

Using his sword, Ichigo screamed out as he tore through the Cero and caused it to disperse in the sky around him. It was no easy feat either.

"For fuck's sake! It's only been a month! What the hell did you do in that time?!" the bluenette asked angrily as the wind whipped past him while he continued to fall.

"*huff* *huff*I don't have time to talk with you. And I already told you won't let you recover!"

Ichigo's wings and speed came through for him again. In just a second he was next to Grimmjow, and prepared to put an end to their fight. Just as he was about to, his cosmic wings fled, nearly costing him his Bankai in the process.

" _U-ugh! No…! My power!"_  he thought fearfully as the energy dispersed.

Grimmjow was taken aback when he saw it happen. His expression quickly turned from a surprised one to one of exhilaration. "Heheh!"

He grabbed Ichigo by the arm, flew him to the ground, and then slammed him against it.

"Aaaugh!" the boy screamed out.

"Kehehahahahaah!" he cackled excitedly. "How fucking useless! It's powerful, that's for sure, but what's the point if you even can't keep it for a measly ten seconds!? I'll admit you had me on the ropes for a second there, but there was never any doubt that  _I_  was going to win this fight!"

Ichigo coughed, spitting out blood from the force of his collision with the ground, before he got up on his knees and elbows.

Grimmjow smirked sinisterly and then swiftly ran the boy's right forearm through with his sword, pinning him to the ground in the process.

Ichigo's eyes couldn't have gone wider the moment he saw it happen. And the pain he felt caused him to scream out in agony. He bent forward and closed his eyes to avoid looking at his new, startling wound.

With a manic smirk on his face, Grimmjow walked up in front of the boy and aimed his palm at him. "You were never any match for me!" He shouted elatedly.

"… *huff* *huff* Grimm…jow… *huff* please… please don't kill her…" Ichigo managed to say through the throbbing pain in his arm.

"Heh! You couldn't beat me, so why should I let the girl live?"

"No… NOOOO! DON'T KILL HER! PLEASE! I'M BEGGING YOU!"

"It's time to put an end to this. You're getting even more pathetic by the second." The bluenette said disappointedly, with a Cero charging at the palm of his hand. "Getting hit at this close a range will take off that worrying little head of yours!" he sneered.

Ichigo stared into the red light that was glowing brighter with each passing second. He couldn't do it. Even after all of his training… this was how it ended… Had it all been for nothing…?

"Tsugi no Mai…"

Grimmjow quickly whipped around, his cerulean eyes going wide at the white light that was glowing under the girl he was almost sure he killed that time the first fought the Court Guard.

"I-I thought I killed you! This is impossible!" he shouted disbelievingly.

How was it possible that she survived with the wound he gave her?! There had definitely been a hole in her stomach the last time he'd seen her!

For each of the four times she dipped her white sword into the ground, tiny white ice storms formed in front of Rukia. Lifting her Zanpakutō, she aimed it at Grimmjow and smiled. "Hakuren!"

A large wave of snowy ice flew in Grimmjow's direction, which he was unable to dodge. It quickly encased him in a blanket of crystal-like ice, rendering him completely immobile.

"Ichigo!" Rukia called out, and then ran over to him. "Are you all right?!" she asked.

The boy rolled his eyes when she reached him. "I've… got a sword stuck in my arm… I'm definitely  _not_  okay…"

Bending over, Rukia observed the wound. "Don't be snippy with me! What the hell happened to you? Did your training mean nothing? And what was that power I felt you using? It didn't feel like the power of a Court Guard…" she said, and then took Grimmjow's sword into her hands to try pulling it out of the boy's arm.

"AAAGH, DAMN IT!" Ichigo shouted at the top of his lungs, closing his eyes from the pain.

"I know! I'm sorry… Just bear with it until I get this thing out of there…!" After a few seconds of pulling with no success, Rukia grimaced. "This thing is really stuck in there! It's not budging at all… How did this even happen?! Were you being careless against such a powerful enemy?!"

"… Just… stop talking…" Ichigo responded, depression and frustration clear in his voice.

"Ichigo…" Rukia said.

The boy avoided making eye contact with her altogether. He was still wondering how he could have lost to Grimmjow a second time. Even with Shinji's help, it meant nothing against Grimmjow.

And now he wouldn't be able to call on that new power again for God knew how long…

He felt so useless…

The sound of ice cracking caused both him and Rukia to turn.

Grimmjow's hand shot out of it, and he grabbed hold of Rukia's head. The ice at his head and upper body shattered, and he glared in the girl's direction wrathfully. "You little…! You  _really_  thought you could stop me by trapping me under A THIN SHEET OF ICE?! YOU'RE A FUCKING IDIOT!" he shouted.

Looking up at Grimmjow, Rukia felt her life flashing before her eyes. She was experiencing true terror. And for just a second, she wondered if this is what Ichigo had been dealing with all this time.

There were no words she could say. She knew this was the end.

"LOOK AT YOU! YOU'RE PRACTICALLY BESIDE YOURSELF WITH FEAR!" the blue-haired man continued.

"RUKIA!" Ichigo shouted.

"DIE YOU LITTLE-"

A green blast came out of nowhere, striking Grimmjow's arm, halting his attack, and nearly searing his arm. It sizzled as smoke rose off of it.

Everyone quickly looked around to see where the attack had come from.

Grimmjow squinted angrily when his eyes landed on a man standing up on a rooftop who was resting a sword over his shoulder.

Enraged, but keeping himself contained, he scowled at the man. "Who the hell are you?" he asked, smoke still rising from his arm.

His question caused Rukia and Ichigo to pinpoint their defender.

"Does that really matter?" the man asked.

"No, I guess you're right. A no-named chump like you won't be breathing for much longer, anyway! Once I knock those long ass teeth out of your mouth, I'll rip your throat out and shove it up your ass!"

"I see we've got a vulgar one…"

Turning from Shinji to look at Grimmjow, Ichigo was sure they would battle. It was inevitable considering their clashing personalities.

"I see…" Shinji commented, "So you're the one who marked him…" he said to the bluenette.

After breaking the ice at the lower half of his body, Grimmjow took a few steps and stopped in front of Ichigo, who looked up at him anxiously.

"I'll be back to finish you off when I'm finished with him!" He commented, and then snatched his sword out of the boy's arm.

"GYAAAAAUGH!" Ichigo cried out, bending forward and gripping his arm tightly.

When Grimmjow jumped up onto a roof near Shinji, Rukia shook herself out of her fear-induced, paralyzed state and saw Ichigo's arm bleeding profusely with him holding it protectively. "Ichigo! Are you alright!?"

"Uuugh… I… I'm okay…" the boy responded, panting while looking towards the ground. Sweat ran down his brow and nose, and then dripped onto the rocks below.

"Come on, let's get you out of here."

Shaking his head, he looked up at Rukia. "I can't… If I leave, Inoue is done for. They've kidnapped her… to make me fight…" he stated, still feeling the pain coursing through his forearm.

"N-no way!"

"Yeah… So I have to stay and… make sure… Grimmjow is defeated…" the boy said, falling forward onto the short girl.

Looking up to the sky, he could see that Shinji and Grimmjow had already started fighting.

…

Shinji quickly stepped back and dodged a barrage of sword slashes from the reckless, vulgar, blue-haired man. For one attack though, he wasn't fast enough, so he used his sword to defend himself.

Grimmjow squinted past their opposing swords at this man, in a state of pure rage that he dared to interfere with his battle. "Are you his ally!?"

"You can think whatever you want to." Shinji responded.

"I guess it doesn't matter one way or another. Anyone who aims an attack at me… IS AN ENEMY!" Grimmjow shouted, and used a Sonído to get above the man. With as much force as possible, he slammed his foot against the top of Shinji's head, sending him crashing into the building below them.

"Agh…" Shinji commented. After sitting up and holding his head, he looked around at the remains of the building. "This was somebody's house, you know? Try to be less of an ass and stop destroying shit. They'll be disappointed when they come home, and it's all your fault!"

"Fuck you!" Grimmjow responded, and then aimed his hand at him.

" _Shit! He's gonna do that!"_  Shinji thought. Quickly, he appeared behind Grimmjow and harshly connected the heel of his foot with the man's side, sending him flying across the sky.

"WERE THOSE WINGS?!" Rukia shouted with wide eyes from the ground below. She could swear she saw wings of energy on Shinji's back for a moment.

"Shit!" Grimmjow cursed, unable to stop due to the pressure of the wind whipping past him.

Raising his sword wielding hand, Shinji looked down at Ichigo for a second, then back at his target. "It's time to end you."

"Tch!" Lifting his own hand, Grimmjow fired a Cero in the opposite direction he was flying in. The force was enough to help him stop and start to catch his breath, which was all he could do considering how hard that guy had kicked him.

His cerulean eyes went wide when he saw a red light appear at the man's hand. "Impossible! How could he use a-"

"Cero!" Shinji said, and fired his attack. He smiled when it hit his target and sent him flying to the ground with smoke around him.

With a thunderous boom, Grimmjow crashed to the ground, causing it to quake greatly from how hard he hit it.

Rukia and Ichigo stared in complete disbelief at the newly-formed crater just a few feet ahead of them.

Grimmjow had been… defeated?

Ichigo held his bleeding arm and stood up, taking a few steps to see the man in the smoking crater. He stopped when Shinji landed in front of him.

"Shinji…"

"You did well to avoid taking that attack head on. Firing your own Cero to counter was a strategically wise move. Didn't think you had a brain under that brawn." The blonde said.

Looking over Shinji's shoulder, Ichigo was surprised to see Grimmjow on his hands and knees, panting as the smoke on his body cleared. Noticeably, the top half of his clothes was completely gone and he was riddled with cuts and scrapes.  _"Grimm…jow…"_  he thought, admittedly worried about him.

"Damn! Damn! Damn! DAMN! DAMN! DAMN! DAAAMN!" Grimmjow coughed, spitting out blood in the process.

Shinji started walking towards the man. "This is over. You put up a decent fight, but now it's time for me to end your struggle." He said, lifting his hand.

Ichigo was unable to comprehend where the concern he felt for Grimmjow was coming from. He pushed it to the dark recesses of his mind and did his best to see this as what was right. This is what he deserved for all he had done, after all.

Without hesitation, Grimmjow lifted his hand and aimed it at Shinji when the blonde got close to him. He knew that without Pantera, his Resurrección state wouldn't be nearly as powerful. It was his mistake, leaving him behind, but he never imagined he'd face anyone more powerful than Kurosaki. This would be the next best thing to rid himself of this long-toothed menace.  _"If this guy has the power of an Arrancar, then this should work on him even if he doesn't have a hole!"_

Shinji looked down in curiosity as a violet, unstable sphere appeared in Grimmjow's palm. He was shocked when it flew slowly at him, and to his surprise, he was unable to dodge it.

"Shit!" he exclaimed as violet and white light shot out from it and surrounded him.

When Shinji disappeared, Ichigo opened his mouth in disbelief. "Wh-what the hell…?!" he asked.

Stepping out of the large crater, Grimmjow took note of his surroundings to make sure no more enemies would show up, and then started walking over to Ichigo. He fell over onto his hands and knees and panted heavily for a second, but got up again to reach his prey. Stopping right in front of Ichigo, he glared down at the shorter man. "It's time for you to go. You lost our battle, remember?" He spoke.

"Ichigo! No!" Drawing her sword again, Rukia scowled at Grimmjow. She dipped it into the ground once, but before she could finish her attack, Grimmjow sprinted past Ichigo over to her, picked her up, and then harshly slammed her onto the pavement.

"Rukia!" Ichigo shouted.

"Kyaaah!" the girl screamed after Grimmjow stomped her stomach. The last thing she saw before everything faded out was Ichigo hurrying over and calling out to her.

His voice, she could not hear...

Turning from his defeated target, Grimmjow sneered at Ichigo, causing the boy to stop dead in his tracks. "You don't have the Reiatsu to fight me." He said to him seriously.

"GRIMMJOW!" Ichigo shouted, and then started panting. He could feel that he would faint from using that ancient power… but now wasn't the time for that! Inoue and Rukia needed him to defeat this guy!

"I'm not going to kill you. Come back to Los Noches with me."

A deafening silence surrounded Ichigo after hearing those words. The way he said it… it sounded… like he  _wanted_  him to come back. Like that's all he'd come here for in the first place.

Trying to keep himself standing was futile. Ichigo fell forward right onto Grimmjow, his nose hitting the man's collar-bone as he did. It took everything out of him not to pass out, but he managed to keep himself conscious. "… If… If I go back with you willingly… Will you release Inoue and… leave my kingdom in peace?" he asked against the man's battle-scarred skin.

"Of course." Grimmjow said.

"How can I… trust you…?"

"You can't. You'll just have to take a gamble on me."

"… Fine… I'll… I'll go with you…"

As soon as he heard those words escape the boy's lips, Grimmjow fluctuated his Reiatsu twice.

Still panting against Grimmjow's chest, Ichigo put the hand of his uninjured arm on the man's shoulder to try and stand up straight. He stopped and turned when two Reiatsu appeared on a rooftop to his left, one of which was Inoue's.

Nakeem held the sword to Inoue's neck, looking down at Grimmjow questionably.

"Let her go." Grimmjow said.

Doing just as he was told, Nakeem put his sword away and jumped to the ground next to his master, leaving the girl up on the rooftop.

"Kurosaki-kun!" Inoue shouted, falling to her knees with her arms still bound behind her back.

Ichigo fell to his knees as well, right in front of Grimmjow, panting heavily. He smiled knowing she was safe.  _"Thank goodness."_

"Stand up, Court Guard." Grimmjow said.

"I… I can't…"

"Tch! You really are pathetic." The bluenette spoke, and then bent down. He lifted the boy's chin to make him look him in the eyes before smirking.

Ichigo gasped when he felt a fist crash against his stomach. "Aah… ugh…" Again, things started fading just like the first time he lost to Grimmjow. But… Inoue was safe, and so were Rukia and everyone else. He could feel that no one had died, so he knew he could go without anything holding him back this time around.

Falling forward onto the man, he lost consciousness against Grimmjow's larger frame.

"Mission success." The bluenette said.

Picking the boy up under his right arm, and that ebony sword of his with his left hand, Grimmjow stood up and wasted no time using a Sonído to get through the kingdom to the large, stone gates. He crashed through them effortlessly and kept speeding until he reached the path that would lead him to Los Noches with Nakeem on his tail.

"Where are the others?" he asked, not even looking back at the man.

"… They've all been killed… Shawlong just fell to his opponent a few minutes ago… He was the last of them…" Nakeem responded as he ran.

Grimmjow closed his eyes, a bit pained at the news. He never imagined he'd lose his men like this. But this was  _their_  plan, after all. Each one of them knew the risks that came with it. "We have to keep moving. I want to get back to Los Noches before nightfall." He said, not showing any emotion to the last Fracción he had.

"Right. I won't fall behind." Nakeem said. The moment he did though, he felt a Reiatsu tailing them.

"Who the hell is that?" Grimmjow asked.

"It's an enemy. I'll take care of them."

"Nakeem! We got what we came for, don't turn back! That's an order!"

"I'm sorry, but I have to defeat the enemy at all costs. Besides, I was the only one who didn't get to taste battle against the Court Guards." Nakeem stated, before he stopped and then used a Sonído to head towards the person.

"YOU FOOL!" he heard Grimmjow, who had temporarily come to a stop, call out.

When a beautiful woman came into his sights, he stopped and smirked at her. Defeating her would definitely have its…  _advantages_.

Rangiku came to an immediate halt in the grass, glaring at the large man ahead of her with her frosty eyes. "How  _dare_  you people have the nerve to take Inoue hostage and then take Ichigo from our kingdom! I can't… no… I  _won't_  let you get away with it!" she declared, drawing her Zanpakutō.

"Well then, show me what you got." Nakeem responded, cracking his neck after doing so.

"You're all just a gang of revolting monsters… It's time for you to Growl! Haineko!" the woman shouted, a cloud of silver-white sand immediately surrounding her and a dust-cat appearing in front of her. She definitely wasn't going to lose this battle, not after all these people had done.

* * *

Grimmjow looked down at the boy under his arm when he reached the desert. He'd got what he gone to that place for. If the last of his followers was going to disobey him even when the mission had been a success, then whatever came to him would be what he deserved.

With the sun beaming down on him, he made tracks in the golden sand. Los Noches was in his sights on the horizon.

* * *

*frost fusion- a shockwave of frost that can freeze even lava...


	15. the reason

Standing like a stone statue at the head of his office, with the other four remaining captains in Seireitei, was the Captain-Commander, Yamamoto.

And he was not at all pleased with the latest turn of events.

A few hours earlier, Aizen's men invaded their kingdom, causing a great deal of havoc after doing so. They six of them fought his Court Guards, and all but one of them died in their attempt to… Well, he was unsure of their motives because they had done two notable things upon sneaking past the admissions office.

Strangely enough, they had taken the Substitute Court Guard, Kurosaki Ichigo, from the kingdom. Against his will as reported by Kuchiki Rukia, who witnessed him fighting, and Matsumoto Rangiku, who claimed she saw him unconscious underneath a man's arm as he was taken away. Their intentions with him were unclear, but thanks to further information in Kuchiki Rukia's report, he'd found out it was the same man who had originally attacked them outside Los Noches.

He would be dealt with very soon.

Apart from Kurosaki Ichigo's kidnapping, the intruders had also taken hold of Inoue Orihime.

That was not something to be ignored.

Knowing of her power to reject reality and practically rewrite events, Yamamoto had been immediately suspicious of Aizen when he heard she had been captured by his underlings.

What puzzled him the most though, was why the man who previously held the title of an Espada had taken the Kurosaki boy instead of the Inoue girl.

His only conjecture was that they would probably try to take her again, and use Kurosaki as collateral to coerce her into going with them. But that still didn't explain why they left her when they had her in their grasp… _"Unless the Kurosaki boy traded himself for her sake..."_  he thought, not wanting to rule out the boy's unwavering desire to keep his friends safe. Though, that theory still didn't clear up any of his questions.

Yamamoto looked around at his remaining captains for a moment, and then closed his eyes to think as they conversed.

"Are you still experiencing any pain, Captain Tōshirō? Do I need to take a second look at you?" Unohana asked from across the office.

"I'm fine. I should be back in fighting condition within a day's time. Thank you for your concern, Captain Unohana." The short boy responded.

"Sorry I couldn't have been of more help." Ukitake muttered, feeling pretty bad that he was stuck in the infirmary when the Arrancars attacked.

"You were recovering. It's no problem, Captain Ukiatake." Tōshirō said.

"I wouldn't have allowed it in your condition, anyway." Unohana added.

Captain Kurotsuchi turned to the Head Captain. "With all this excitement, what will you do, Head Captain?"

Yamamoto opened his eyes and took another look at his four captains before speaking. "We must go into conference with the King. There is much we need to discuss with him."

All four of the other captains in the room stared at him, completely wide-eyed in shock.

Going into conference with the King was serious business. Usually, he only spoke with the Head Captain. But even  _that_  was a rare occasion.

"Head Captain Yamamoto! I thought you only spoke with the King alone!" Tōshirō said.

"I need your input as well. After all, the four of you were here for the attack." Yamamoto responded.

"So what about the captains who aren't here?" Ukitake asked.

"They will be informed of our discussion and the decision we make upon their return. Now, let us begin."

After turning around to the screen mounted on the wall behind him, the long-bearded man pressed a button on his desk and waited for a response from the King.

* * *

Having waited patiently for about two hours in her captain's office, Rangiku got up from the chair at the boy's desk and walked over to the window. She unlocked and opened it to stare out at the vast kingdom she'd always known as home.

" _I can't believe we were invaded so easily… I can't imagine the regulations that will be put into place on traders now."_  She thought as the wind blew through her honey-blonde hair.

This was the first time something of this magnitude had happened. And now who know what the outcome would be between Seireitei and Los Noches.

" _Were those men acting for Aizen, or for their own sake…?"_ she wondered. Aizen didn't seem like the type to just send six men into the kingdom, knowing they weren't strong enough to take on a whole army of the King's secondary court. Though… one of them did manage to get away…

When the door opened and Tōshirō entered the room, she looked at him concernedly.

"Captain." She saluted, trying to push her emotions about the matter aside.

"Hello Matsumoto. Sorry to keep you waiting." the boy greeted. After doing so, he walked over to his desk, took a seat at it, and then sighed.

"Captain, what's going on? From the looks of it, the meeting didn't go too well." The woman continued, seeing the serious look on his face.

"We've been in conference with the King."

"What?! No way!"

"Yes. He was displeased with the turn of events. Even more than he was when Aizen defected..."

Rangiku walked over to the desk and put her hands down on it, leaning in her captain's face. "Well what did he say?! What's going to happen with us and Los Noches?!"

"For now, nothing at all. The Head Captain told him that this was only strike two against Los Noches. They both wanted to avoid war as much as possible, so we're going to cut off all ties with them."

"That's it? After invading and damaging our kingdom, putting Renji and Rukia in the hospital  _again_ , capturing Inoue, and kidnapping Ichigo,  _that's_  all we're going to do?"

"Well… Yamamoto was adamant about punishing that former Espada, since he  _is_  the one who caused all of this."

"And what's he planning to do?"

Tōshirō leaned forward and his face grew even more serious than usual. "He says that man is to be put to death by public execution in Los Noches in a week's time, broadcasted for us to see. He's discussing it alone with Aizen right now."

"How serious… Such a waste of a fine man…" Rangiku said, remembering the glimpse she'd caught when she looked past that large follower of his when she tailed them.

"That's the only way we can prove to Los Noches how serious we are about maintaining the treaty we forged. Violations of that treaty have been made, and therefore, the perpetrator must be dealt with."

"Hmm… But aren't we cutting off all ties with them, anyway? What would it matter if we did prove that we're serious-"

"That man was the only person in Aizen's army to violate the arrangements in the treaty. One day, we may be on peaceful terms with them again. But first, the Head Captain wants to deal with the one who has caused all this trouble. Then we can focus on rebuilding our relationship with them. Their people need our assistance because they're in the desert, after all. He doesn't want to just forget how much we can help them."

"As hot as it gets out there, I couldn't imagine living anywhere near that place… And there's no water for miles until you reach the east coast of the continent. So I guess to them… we were like an oasis."

"Exactly. The Head Captain knows that well."

"Then… What about Ichigo?"

"He was kidnapped, that's true… The perfect test of Aizen's honor to us will come if he returns him to us within three days. If not, then we will know he is uninterested in continuing our peaceful relationship. And… war will most likely be imminent at that point."

"You don't say… It sounds like the Head Captain's got it all figured out." Rangiku said. "It's best if we don't go to war, though. We've come so far since the last one. Who knows how much another one would affect us."

"Captain Kurotsuchi is working with Urahara Kisuke to make sure the kingdom is protected, should we need it. We'll be ready for anything Aizen might be planning."

"How odd… Those two can barely get along for five seconds… I'd love to see them arguing or annoying each other" the woman giggled. "But it's wonderful that we'll be able to keep this place safe!"

"That's right. Oh, and one more thing. It's not really of much influence on us..."

"Hm? What's that, Captain?"

"Inoue Orihime is going to be sent to the High Palace to stay with the King for a while. She'll be under the protection of him and his High Court until this mess is sorted out."

Rangiku was surprised to hear that. "Really?!"

"Yeah. We don't want to run the risk of Aizen getting his hands on her power. Who knows what he would do with it…"

"How… how unfair! I want to go to the High Palace!" the honey-blonde woman pouted.

"Well, for you it's unfair. For her, it's like a detainment. She'll be taken away from her home, her friends, her job, everything. And the last time she saw Kurosaki was when he had been taken, right? Imagine how she's going to feel."

"Oh… hmm… I guess you're right…" Rangiku muttered. "Poor thing. I hope she'll be okay. And I hope the trip goes well for her."

"She'll be fine. We're going to have her escorted by Captain Soi-Fon to make sure she gets there as quickly and safely as possible. I think Soi-Fon should be back later this evening, so that's probably when they'll leave."

With a sigh of relief, Rangiku walked over and sat on a cushion near the window. "I'm glad things are looking up. We won't have to go to war, Inoue will be safe, and Ichigo will be home soon." She said, giving a warm smile to the kingdom.

"Me too, Matsumoto. Me too."

* * *

"Renji?" Rukia spoke, sitting up in her hospital bed.

"Just came to see how you were doing." The redhead smiled as he entered the girl's room.

"I'm fine…"

Taking a seat in the chair next to Rukia's bed, Renji folded his arms over his bandaged abdomen and sighed. "That's a relief."

"How're you doing?"

"Just a few fractured bones here and there. Lieutenant Isane said I'll be back to my old self in no time."

"Well, I'm glad to hear that." The girl said with a sincere smile.

Renji closed his eyes before he moved on to the more pressing matter. "Ichigo… I heard he was kidnapped again."

With a look of discontent, Rukia glanced down at the sheets over her lap. All she could think about was how hard Ichigo had been pushing himself. He'd been training almost nonstop for the past month to be able to protect everyone, but that amounted to practically nothing when it came down to it. "I couldn't save him. That man… that Espada… He's too strong for us…" she said glumly.

"Rukia."

"Yeah?"

"You did your best, I know. But Ichigo is a big boy. He'll be okay. After all, he's the only one of us who can go toe-to-toe with an Espada."

"Renji, Ichigo's been trying so hard to protect us all… But in the end, he-"

"Everyone is alive, right?" Renji interrupted. "We managed to take down our opponents, and he protected Inoue. Isn't that what really matters?"

"… I guess you're right."

"If you're worried about him being kidnapped, don't be. The Head Captain's not just going to let one of his own be taken away like that. Ichigo will return. I promise."

Rukia did not respond. She simply looked Renji over. Glad to see that familiar, confidently stupid smile on his face again, she felt a bit relieved.

"You want something to eat?" Renji asked, changing the subject again.

"I'm fine. I actually ate about an hour ago." Rukia said.

She looked past Renji when a she heard footsteps coming down the hall.

It was Inoue.

She stopped at the doorway and held her hands behind her back like she sometimes did when she was nervous.

"Inoue?" Renji spoke, after turning to see who their visitor was.

"May I come in?"

"Sure." Rukia responded.

The large-breasted girl stepped into the room and smiled sweetly. "I'm glad to see you're both okay."

"The same to you." The violet-eyed girl said, returning that smile.

"Inoue, what are you doing here?" Renji asked.

"Um… well… I-I want to say goodbye."

"What? Where are you going?" Rukia asked, both surprised and confused at the same time.

"I'm going to be taken to the High Palace for a while. I was just told by Matsumoto-san. …I know it's asking a bit much, but… when you see Kurosaki-kun again… can you please tell him thank you for me? I know he tried so hard to save me…" the girl said, tearing up as she remembered witnessing Ichigo falling in front of Grimmjow. Giving a fake smile to hide her sorrow, she continued. "It's going to be fun, going to the palace! Tell him not to worry about me! I know he will!"

"Inoue…"

Renji remained silent, knowing this was tough for Inoue to deal with. He wasn't particularly good with situations like this, so he figured it'd be best not to say anything at all.

"Please take good care of yourselves! I have to go start packing… I'm leaving tonight. So this is goodbye." Inoue said. She gave a gentle wave of her hand, and then quickly left the room.

Renji looked at Rukia, who looked right back at him.

"I'll tell Ichigo when he comes back home." The raven-haired girl said.

* * *

Ichigo woke up to the feeling of being pushed.

He also felt a discomfort at his rear end, and something moist and warm pressed against his neck.

After slowly opening his eyes, he found himself in a dark room where the only light coming in was through a large doorway that led outside. This place seemed oddly familiar to him.

He tried sitting up, but stopped when he realized he was in the middle of being fucked.

Turning to look over his shoulder, he saw Grimmjow behind him with his face buried against the back of his neck.

"Ah!" he shouted when the man went too far inside of him.

Grimmjow looked up and was surprised to see Ichigo awake. "I'm almost done." He said to him.

Ichigo gripped the sheets in front of him and gritted his teeth to bear with this forced intercourse. When he did, he felt a sting come from his right arm.

Looking down, he could see that someone had neatly stitched the wound he'd received on his forearm.

To his surprise, a hand came from behind him and started stroking his almost completely erect penis. He was so shocked with Grimmjow's action that he didn't object to it. All he could do in response was moan out in pleasure. "Ahh! Mmmm…!"

It made him feel strange, hearing himself make those noises, so he put his face down on the pillows to try concealing them.

The more Grimmjow fucked him, and the more his hand stroked, the closer he got to reaching his climax.

It was undeniably odd, waking up to being fucked, but there was no anger he could direct at the man behind him simply because he was trying to help him reach his climax by jacking him off.

And it worked. With a satisfied moan into the pillows, he came all over Grimmjow's hand.

He knew Grimmjow reached his as well because he moaned out stridently right after he did.

Ichigo panted against the pillows and was thankful when he felt Grimmjow pull out of him. The feeling of having sex with him was still a strange and slightly uncomfortable one, after all. To make matters worse, Grimmjow's warm semen was now inside of him.

"Get up, Court Guard."

Turning over, Ichigo saw Grimmjow standing beside the bed and waiting for him to come over to him.

"Why?"

"Because I said so."

"… I can't… My energy is gone… and my ass aches… a lot."

"Tch!"

Impatiently, Grimmjow walked around the bed and picked the boy up in his arms. He then proceeded to take him into the bathroom, where he put him down into the tub full of hot water, careful to keep his injured arm suspended above the water.

Ichigo felt awkward, having Grimmjow holding his arm in the air, so he pulled it out of the man's grasp and rested it on the floor beside the tub where the water couldn't reach it. When Grimmjow left the bathroom, he blushed as he watched his ass move while he walked.

After he had gone, Ichigo admitted that something about the man's behavior was a little… off…

Looking up through the glass ceiling, he saw that it was nighttime. The moon was high in the sky and there were a multitude of stars twinkling around it. It was much easier to see them here than it was in Seireitei, the bright city lights blocking most of them out and all.

At hearing footsteps coming back into the bathroom, he turned.

It was Grimmjow. He was carrying a short, cylindrical bottle in his hand.

"What's that?" he asked him.

Grimmjow ignored the question completely. He put the bottle down on the floor next to Ichigo's arm, and then got into the tub with him.

Ichigo moved back when the man got close, slightly afraid of what he was going to do.

He grimaced when Grimmjow took his arm into his hand and started looking at it closely.

"Does this hurt?"

"… W-WHAT? WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!" the boy asked, afraid he was hearing things.

"I asked you if this hurts." Grimmjow responded, now looking him in the eyes.

"I… yeah… it does kinda hurt…" Ichigo said. His raised his eyebrows in surprise when the wound started bleeding through the stitches. "Shit…" he cursed, trying to pull his arm free.

"Stop that." Grimmjow said irritably, holding his arm firmly in place.

"But-"

Ichigo stopped himself from saying anything more when Grimmjow pulled his arm close and started licking his wound tenderly, careful not to get his tongue caught on the spots where the stitches stuck out.

It was strange; definitely something he'd never seen a human do before. This kind of behavior… was similar to an animal's...

But it felt oddly nice; both physically and emotionally because Grimmjow was showing signs of… care for  _another_  person.

With a faint blush on his cheeks, he looked away as the man continued to lick his arm with his warm and wet tongue.

"You… should stop that… It's not a good idea to lick a cut like that…" he said nervously.

Grimmjow stopped licking and gently put the boy's arm on the floor beside the tub.

When he felt something warm running along his stitches, Ichigo turned back. Grimmjow had opened the bottle of whatever it was he'd brought, and was now rubbing it on his wound with his fingers.

"Wh-what is that?" he asked.

The bluenette stopped what he was doing and turned to him. "It's an ointment, you fool."

"I know that! I guess… what I meant to say was-"

"You're being annoying. Shut up and let me finish doing this."

A bit irritated, and very confused, Ichigo pulled his arm away from Grimmjow and held it protectively. "What the hell happened to you?! Why are you being so nice and caring all of a sudden?!"

His questions earned him no response.

"What did you do to Shinji back in Seireitei?! At least answer me that." the boy continued.

"Why? He's not important."

"Tell me what you did to him! He's an ally of mine, and he helped me out when I needed it... If you killed him-"

"I didn't kill him. If you must know, I used a Caja Negación to seal him in another dimension."

"W-WHAT?!"

"It's a tool Aizen gave each of the Espada, which we use to punish our subordinates. That guy was admittedly strong though, on par with the Espada, so he should be able to break out of it and get back to this dimension soon."

"…"

"Stop worrying about every little thing. You're such a nuisance…" Grimmjow continued.

"Rgh! Then why did you bring me back here?! If I'm such a nuisance, why go out of your way to get me?! Do you even realize what your actions could lead to?!"

"… I don't really care."

"That's… so selfish of you…!"

When he got no response, Ichigo turned away from Grimmjow and fumed. He was so angry about all he had done… It was all in such blatant disregard to everything and everyone!

Looking down, he slowly lost that train of thought when he remembered how Grimmjow had just helped him.

And that made him remember that there was still a question to be answered.

Turning back to face him, he saw that Grimmjow was now swimming around under the water on the opposite side of the tub, where the water was deeper.

Without a word, he got out of the tub and dried off. He'd just ask again when it couldn't be avoided.

After stepping into a pair of loose pants and pulling a t-shirt over his head, he walked out of the bathroom. He stopped as soon as h entered the large bedroom though, because he felt a pair of eyes on him. Looking up to the terrace to his left, he saw Pantera staring down at him from the top of the stairs.

Avoiding looking into the animal's piercing eyes for too long, he turned to his right. The moonlight was flooding into the room from the courtyard.

With a barely noticeable smile, he decided that's where he would go instead of going to the bed. He wasn't very tired, anyway.

…

After properly bathing himself, Grimmjow got out of the tub and walked out of the bathroom, drying his hair as he did. But he stopped when he saw that Ichigo wasn't in the bed.

His cerulean eyes looked around the room for him, and then they looked up to the terrace. Sure that he hadn't gone to sit in Pantera's company, he headed to the courtyard.

Ichigo stopped staring up at the stars when he felt Grimmjow's Reiatsu drawing near. He turned and faced him when the man came to a stop right up behind him.

"What do you want, Grimmjow? I can't imagine you're looking for sex again." He said, noting the man's nakedness.

"Shut your mouth."

"What are you doing out here?"

"These are my fucking quarters! I go wherever the hell I please!" Grimmjow said, face frowned up and flushed at the boy on the ground in front of him.

"Whatever…" Ichigo replied. He decided to ignore Grimmjow, so he turned back to look up at the night sky.

Convincing himself that what he was about to do was no big deal, Grimmjow pulled his towel from around his shoulders and wrapped it around his waist, then took a few steps over to a spot next to Ichigo and sat down on the concrete that was next to him.

To say Ichigo was surprised would be a bit of an understatement. His eyes were wide, his eyebrows high on his forehead, and his mouth was open like he was a fish out of water.

"Close your mouth. You look like an idiot." The cerulean-haired man commented.

"Shut up…!"

"I'm the one who should be saying that."

"You are insufferable."

Deciding he would ask since he had been curious, Grimmjow let his question come out. "… What was that power you used against me earlier today?"

"So I was only out for a few hours…?"

"Answer my question."

Ichigo stared at the man for a second, and then sighed. He lifted his hand and pointed at the sky. "That."

"What? What the fuck does that mean?" the bluenette asked with a confused look on his face.

"That look suits you, Grimmjow." Ichigo mocked.

"I'm going to fucking destroy you if you don't stop kidding around. Tell me exactly what that power was."

"It was… the power of an ancient race. The Skifenians." When Grimmjow did not respond, Ichigo continued. "I'm a half-breed of two of the ancient races. My father is an Earthian, and my mother was a Skifenian. So I just… called on the latent power inside me from my Skifenian lineage. It's a celestial ability, powered by the stars and the limitless energy in space... though it has its limits on me since I'm not a full-blooded Skifenian... Do you know anything about it?"

"I know a few things about the Skifenians." Grimmjow stated with a blank look on his face. "Let's just leave it at that."

"That's fine with me. I'm sure you couldn't have told me anymore about them than Shinji did, anyway."

With that, the two of them sat in silence for a while, looking up at the stars together. Things were nice and quiet until Grimmjow looked at the boy beside him and spoke again.

"Hey. Uh, does your wound feel any better? That ointment was given to me by some of the palace nurses. They said something about increasing the healing time… and cell regeneration..." he said awkwardly.

Ichigo's eyebrows knitted down as he remembered the man's recent strange behavior. "Grimmjow, what the hell is going on with you?" he asked, looking the other in the eye.

"What do you mean? What are you going on about?" said man asked in response.

"Why are you being so  _nice_  and  _considerate_  of me all of a sudden?!"

"…"

"First you jack me off, then you lick my wound, then treat it…  _then_  you ask me how it's doing… Tell me what is going on with you."

Grimmjow turned and looked back up to the sky. Particularly, he looked at the myriad of stars twinkling in it. "My men… died for my satisfaction. That satisfaction is having you here where I can do with you as I please. I can't afford to let you die over something as insignificant as a stab wound… which was  _my_  fault in the first place. If you die, then they would have died for nothing. They sacrificed themselves to help me get you back. So you now embody them… in a way of speaking."

"I could never embody people who disrupt the peace of a kingdom to see to the satisfaction of a destructive, psycho maniac…" the boy responded angrily as he remembered what had happened in Seireitei. He looked down at the grass around him to avoid Grimmjow's gaze.

"You can say whatever you want, but I'm not going to let you die so easily. Because… well… I just told you the reason!"

Snatching up a handful of grass with his left hand, Ichigo tossed it at Grimmjow. "There, those blades of grass just died for my satisfaction! I guess now you embody-"

Grimmjow angrily pounced on top of him, taking his injured arm into his hand and holding it up in the air. "Don't you  _dare_  make light of my men's sacrifices!" he hissed.

Ichigo averted his eyes, feeling guilty for what he'd just done. "I-I'm sorry…"

It was then that he realized something.

"Grimmjow… you want me to stay alive, right?"

"Don't flatter yourself. It's not a want. …But… if I can help it, you won't die."

"So… if I… were to… do something like this…" the orange-haired boy began, moving up closer to the man.

"What are you…"

Stopping just in front of Grimmjow's lips, and feeling the gentle breezes as he breathed in and out, Ichigo stared him in his entrancingly blue eyes. Feeling his heart beating unnaturally fast, he closed his eyes and pressed his lips against the man's tenderly.

When he felt Grimmjow release his arm, he brought it down slowly so it wouldn't hit the ground and cause him pain. All he wanted to feel from this moment was the adrenaline from the danger it brought, the excitement in his pants, and the warmth of Grimmjow's lips against his own.

After opening his eyes, he could see that Grimmjow was not responding to his kiss at all. His cerulean eyes were open, and his furrowed eyebrows showed how displeased he was.

Pulling away, Ichigo kept looking at him through heavily lidded eyes. "Grimmjow…" he breathed out.

"What have I told you about doing that?" was said man's cold response.

"… That doesn't matter anymore. You're not going to kill me, and I know you won't hurt me. Not when you told me that I embody your fallen men. If you're going to force me into staying here, and force me into sex, then I'm going to force my affections onto you."

"You came here willingly, remember?"

"Is that your only response to what I just said? Are you not going to object to me kissing you?"

"No, because you're not stupid enough to do it agai-"

Ichigo interrupted Grimmjow by kissing him a second time. Wrapping his arms around the man's neck and closing his brown eyes, he pulled him down onto the grass on top of him. He wanted to know all he could about Grimmjow's mouth. He wanted to taste it. No, he  _needed_  to taste it. In order to memorize the taste that no one else before him probably had the chance to.

Sticking out his tongue, he pressed it up against the dry, yet soft, lips that belonged to this enemy of his who had alienated himself from all forms of human emotion besides anger.

He was unsuccessful. Unsuccessful until Grimmjow's lips parted the tiniest bit, allowing him to journey past them. Once that one was cleared, another obstacle made itself known. The rows of pearly white teeth the man had served as a solid, impenetrable wall, preventing the boy from advancing any further.

He knew exactly what to do to bypass them, though.

Reaching down with his left hand, he grabbed hold of Grimmjow's privates through his towel and squeezed them.

It was perfect. Grimmjow's mouth snapped opened like a bear trap. And Ichigo took his chance to enter.

He explored as much of it as possible, as he would Earthia if given the chance…

Savoring every bit of the moment, he finally decided to push his tongue against Grimmjow's, who forcefully pushed back.

When a hand came down and tightly grabbed his arm, Ichigo stopped kissing Grimmjow and pulled away from him altogether. Thankfully he hadn't used his injured arm to grope the larger man…

"I told you to stop doing that. Don't make me repeat myself." Grimmjow said, and then sat up.

Ichigo sat up too, his lips swollen from kissing the other man. "… Why did you take so long to stop me?" he asked.

"Don't read into that too much. I wanted to see just how far you'd go to slip your tongue in my mouth. The way you treat me, I'm surprised you didn't come back here on your own terms!"

"… I don't like being held against my will by a maniac. I only came here with you to save my kingdom, and to protect my friends."

"Don't give me that pathetic lie!"

"It's not a lie. I will admit… I… I did… miss you… while we were apart… but not too much because of how totally insane you are!"

"What a little bitch you are…" Grimmjow said, before standing up and heading back inside.

"I know you missed me, too! Otherwise, you would have just killed me back in Seireitei! You had the perfect chance to, but you didn't take it! You took me instead so you could bring me back here!"

Halting his advance, the cerulean-haired man turned around and looked at Ichigo. He started to say something in retort, but decided against it. This kid obviously liked arguing. Why give him the satisfaction?

"Grimmjow… Stop isolating yourself from everyone! I know you have emotions in there somewhere. You're human, aren't you…?" Ichigo asked as he stood up.

"I'm a warrior. The only thing I feel passionate about is conquering my enemies, destroying useless shit and causing havoc, and taking the crown from Aizen. Everything else is just a waste of my time." The man answered. He turned, and then entered his room without another word.

Ichigo stood in place. He now knew that he was brought into Grimmjow's life for a reason: to help him change.

With earnest intentions towards the man, he smiled determinedly. "… I'm… I'm going to crack that shell of yours open someday, Grimmjow. You'll see." He said, knowing full well the man could no longer hear him.

But that didn't matter. He was confident. After all, Grimmjow brought him back here when he could have just killed him. That was proof that there was already a tiny crack on his haughty wall of isolation.


	16. a question of love

Early the next morning, Grimmjow scowled as he walked down the halls of Los Noches palace, heading to Aizen's throne room where he had been summoned by Tousen to a meeting about something. At first, he was not actually going to respond to the prick's call, but somehow, he got Aizen to sit in on it. There was no option if Aizen would be there. He had to go.

As he walked out into a breezeway, he looked up at the sky to his left. The sun was out now, the time about ten o'clock judging from its position.

Thinking about his little captive, his scowl quickly turned into a grin. Hopefully this meeting wouldn't last too long. He wanted to get back to his quarters so he could continue to have fun with the Court Guard.

Opening the door to the main hall of Los Noches, he stepped inside and continued on his way to the throne room, wondering what it was that Tousen wanted with him.  _"Can't be anything good, knowing that sadistic asshole…"_

When he arrived in the large room, brightly lit by a number of chandeliers, he saw Aizen sitting up on the throne, and Tousen standing on the ground level.

"Good morning, Grimmjow." Aizen said coolly as he looked down on him.

"Yeah." He responded, and then stuffed his hands into his pockets. The meeting hadn't even started yet and he was ready for it to be over.

"Kaname said that I should attend this meeting. I am very curious to see what it is he wants to discuss with you." The man continued.

"What do you want, Tousen?" Grimmjow asked, looking said man in the face.

"Well, there is only one thing I want to address in this meeting. And I wanted Aizen-sama here so he could make sure you came. Not to mention I'd like him to assure me that my actions today do not cross any lines."

Aizen raised an eyebrow curiously, and Grimmjow's eyebrows knitted down.

Taking this opportunity to clear up their confused vibe he could feel rising in the room, Tousen continued. "In the past few days, no, in the past month, Grimmjow's actions have caused such an uproar between our desert kingdom of Los Noches and Seireitei kingdom. He is the reason we are no longer in contact with Seireitei, which will cause our kingdom's people to fall on harder times than they were already facing. I think he deserves a punishment, and I would like to be the one to administer that punishment."

"Kaname, what did I discuss with you about interfering with the actions of the Espada?" Aizen asked.

"I have not forgotten what you said to me, Aizen-sama. However, he is no longer an Espada, and I am not actually interfering with his actions. I simply want to punish him for what he's done."

"You bastard! This is none of your fucking business-"

"FIVE MEN are lost to Los Noches kingdom! Five! Each one of them was under your command! You've deemed yourself incapable of being in command of a squadron, and you also broke the treaty we forged with Seireitei to satisfy your own desires! You should not even be alive, you abominable heathen…" Tousen turned from Grimmjow and looked up to Aizen. "Aizen-sama, let me be the one to end this demon's life. His actions have proved he does not deserve to live. And he is no longer ranking among the Espada."

Aizen sighed. "I cannot allow you to destroy Grimmjow, Kaname. I still need him alive at this point to see my plans come to fruition."

"Then allow me to administer a fitting punishment. Please sir." Tousen pleaded.

Knowing of Tousen's often times cruel nature when it came to his sense of justice, and curious as to what he would do to punish Grimmjow that would leave him alive, Aizen nodded his head once.

Grimmjow's cerulean eyes went wide when he saw him do it. It felt like… betrayal to him.

When he saw Tousen make to draw his sword from his peripheral, he turned to him. The moment he did, he felt a quick, sharp pain at his left arm.

Looking down, he saw that most of it had been cut off and was now lying on the ground beside him in a pool of blood.

His heart started beating unnaturally fast and his breathing became irregular because he didn't know what to do. Seeing his arm on the ground like that, and knowing it was Tousen who had done it… All the blood dripping from where his arm had been removed…

"You- YOU FUCKING BASTAAAARD!" he shouted, bringing his right hand to hold what was left of his arm.

Tousen, standing back where he'd originally been, shook his head. "The next punishment will not be so merciful. Hado 31, Shakkaho." He said.

Grimmjow looked to the floor again and saw his arm burst into pink and red flames. It turned to ashes after about ten seconds, and blew away when a gust of wind came in from one of the open windows in the room.

"Oh my." Aizen said.

"Your power has now been significantly decreased." Tousen spoke, putting his sword back into its sheathe.

Now seeing red, Grimmjow had to start breathing through his mouth from how heated he was. This bastard that he'd  _always_  hated was… looking down on him… taunting him… had injured him... thought he was so much better than he was…

"You damned asshole…! You'd do anything to see me writhing in pain! This was just an excuse!" he shouted.

"It's not an excuse. You've been punished because you are the only rebellious one who would jeopardize Aizen-sama's plans. If you continue to be a problem, I will continue to dismember you at his approval." The dark-skinned man responded.

"YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT!" Livid with rage, Grimmjow made to draw his sword.

The moment his hand touched the hilt of it, the room grew heavy with Reiatsu. Turning, he looked up and saw Aizen wearing a look of disapproval on his face.

"Grimmjow, I've saved you at least twice now only because you are important to my plans. But if you draw your sword, I will have no choice but to eliminate you on the spot. You are not the only person I need to keep alive in order to fulfill my ambitions." The brunette man stated calmly.

Knuckles white from how hard he was gripping his sword, Grimmjow felt himself growing more and more enraged with Tousen… and Aizen. How much he wanted to end both their pathetic lives here and now…

Realizing his situation, primarily his weakened state, he gnashed his teeth, but released his weapon. There was no way he could take them both on at once.

Turning around, he started on his way back to his quarters.

"Know your place, you heathen." Tousen called out tauntingly.

"Tch! You know, your head would be rolling at my feet right now if it weren't for Aizen. You aren't even on my radar." Grimmjow responded, and then left the room.

With gritted teeth, Tousen made to draw his sword. As soon as he did, he felt a mass of Reiatsu on him. He turned in Aizen's direction in surprise.

"Kaname, I thought I told you not to interfere with the Espada."

"Aizen-sama… He will bring about a war between our kingdoms if he is not controlled! Besides, he is no longer among the Espada ranks!"

"Even so, I need him alive for my ambitions to be achieved. He is not to be killed until I give that order. If you make an attempt on his life, I will be forced to stop you. Do not disobey my orders."

"Understood, sir." Tousen responded. He stood up straight, bowed apologetically, and then left the room through the doorway opposite of the one Grimmjow had gone through.

Sighing, Aizen stood up from his throne. It's a good thing he hadn't told anyone about Yamamoto wanting Grimmjow to be executed. Tousen would have eagerly jumped at the chance to carry out that order.

But he needed things to progress further on Grimmjow's end. He couldn't let him die just yet…

Yamamoto's order was an unexpected obstacle that needed to be overcome.

Running his hand over his soft head of hair, Aizen turned and walked behind his throne then entered the hallway that would lead him to his laboratory.

"You're quite mean for pitting them against each other. I think you enjoy it."

Turning, he saw Gin come out from behind one of the pillars. "Gin." He said.

"You and Tousen are bullies. Poor Grimmjow. He must have felt so helpless." the silver-haired man said amusedly.

"You think so?"

"I do. Why do you insist on keeping him around, anyway? He's proven to be nothing but problematic. Isn't that counteractive with your motives?"

Aizen shook his head. "I keep him around  _because_  he is the problematic one. He's the only one to have obtained an important factor I need to complete my plans."

"Oh! And what would that be?" Gin asked, his frost-blue eyes opening in surprise.

"Gin, I'll be leaving the kingdom tonight. I've lounged around the palace for a little longer than I needed to. It's about time to set my plan into action now that all my research notes have been organized."

"Where are you going?"

"To the forested temple and then the desert ruins, of course."

"We'll take care of the palace until you return."

"When I return, I will rule the land." The man said, and then continued to his laboratory.

* * *

Sitting out in the courtyard and basking in the sun's warm glow, Ichigo had been contemplating his situation. Ultimately, he knew he would have to return to Seireitei. Yamamoto wouldn't just sit back and let one of his own be taken captive. It was only a matter of time before something happened, which would most likely be someone coming after him.

"I wonder if my actions will lead to war…" he said quietly, hoping against it.

When he heard a scream inside Grimmjow's quarters and things starting to break, he stood up and ran inside.

"Grimmjow!" he said in surprise when he saw the man come back from wherever it was he'd gone this morning.

It took him a second, but when he looked on the floor, he saw a pool of blood beside him. There was also a trail of it that followed him from the doors, which were sealed again of course. Looking closer when Grimmjow turned and started punching holes in the wall, he saw the cause of all the blood.

His left arm was missing.

Though he was shocked, he didn't really know how to respond to what he was seeing. So he didn't. Obviously, Grimmjow was not in the mood to be bothered. He was probably less likely to answer questions about what happened to his arm, considering that was probably the reason he was so furious.

He stood in place for a moment, just watching the man destroy everything in the room. When Pantera came in and stood at the top of the stairs leading to the terrace, he knew he had to do  _something_.

"RRRRAAAAAAAAGH!" Grimmjow shouted, and punched another hole in his wall. Even though they were solid stone, he didn't care. He didn't care that his knuckles were bleeding. He didn't care about anything anymore!

Ichigo's eyes went wide when he saw Grimmjow turn to him. His heart started beating fast when he began walking over to him as he wondered what he would do in this enraged state of his.

"Grimmjow…" he said when the man got close.

"You…" said man breathed out.

"Grimm-GRIMMJOW!" Ichigo shouted.

Grimmjow had fallen to his knees, and was now holding what was left of his arm as it bled.

Ichigo fell to his knees as well, and reached out to touch him.

"Don't fucking touch me!" Grimmjow snarled. As soon as he did, he grunted in pain and fell forward onto the smaller man.

"Grimmjow! I'll help you!" Ichigo said soothingly, wrapping his arms around him to pull him closer.

Pantera hurried down the stairs and over to where his master was, then looked up at the orange-haired boy who was holding him protectively.

"I'll take care of him, I promise. I won't let him die." Ichigo assured.

Looking down, he realized he had to act fast. Grimmjow had lost a lot of blood, which was causing him to lose that tan skin tone of his. It would all be over if he didn't stop the bleeding.

As Grimmjow panted heavily against his stomach, he gained the confidence he needed to save him.

As best he could, he dragged the larger man over to the bed and lifted him up onto it, with Pantera's help of course.

After ripping off the bottom of his own shirt, he used that cloth to tie it around the area above the wound. He knew he had to make sure it didn't get infected, so he ran into the bathroom and grabbed one of the decorative bowls from the counter and then hurried over to the sink where he filled it with warm water.

When he got back into the room, he put the bowl down on the floor and ripped Grimmjow's shirt off. Pulling the clean part away from the blood-stained part, he put the unsullied cloth in the water to soak it. Then he rung it out and moved over to the bed.

It was stressful and kind of frightening, looking at the remains of a dismembered arm… It was a clean cut that was for sure. He had a pretty decent understanding of the human body, particularly the tendons, ligaments, muscles, and bones located in the arm. With that knowledge, it was hard to think of anything besides how painful this seemed… This was definitely very different, being out in the field and actually dealing with dismemberment, than it was simply reading about it in a textbook.

But he wouldn't falter now. He had to save Grimmjow. He didn't know why, but he just had to!

Pantera watched as the boy carefully cleaned what was left of Grimmjow's arm with the wet cloth. When he heard his master cry out in pain, he looked at the boy angrily and growled.

"It's okay! I need to clean this wound, and it's not going to feel so great for him. But if I don't do anything, he'll die!" the boy called from over his shoulder at hearing the panther express his dislike for his making Grimmjow uncomfortable.

Ichigo soon realized he couldn't simply bandage this wound. It would be too painful to remove the bandage if it healed attached to it.

That's when he looked down at his own arm.

"The ointment!" he shouted.

It had sealed his wound in a matter of minutes last night, which is what made it seem perfect for this situation.

Quickly, he got up and sprinted to the bathroom, where he had last seen the ointment, and looked around for it.

He found it on the counter and then ran back into the room with it. Coming up to Grimmjow's side again, he uncapped the bottle and scooped some of it out with his fingers. If it had helped his wound heal, then it would help Grimmjow's as well.

As he pressed it against the stub of Grimmjow's arm, he noticed it at least caused it to stop bleeding. "Cell regeneration, huh?" he said quietly, awestruck at how effective the medicine was in this place.

Around the wound he rubbed the ointment, running out just after he'd covered the entirety of it. To his relief, it had stopped bleeding altogether, and was now slowly healing.

Falling back onto his rear end, he sighed heavily.

"I did it!" he smiled as sweat dripped down his brow.

…

After about ten minutes of resting his nerves, Ichigo got up off the floor and checked on Grimmjow.

He was asleep now, thankfully.

Seeing him cry out the way he had… it was just… painful for him to recall…

As best he could, he bandaged the healing wound; he was fairly certain the ointment would prevent any pain when the bandage was removed. Noticing the blood on the man's swollen knuckles, Ichigo ripped off more of his own shirt and took Grimmjow's right hand into his own. He held onto it for a few seconds, then wrapped it up as well.

While looking over Grimmjow's shirtless form, he blushed and tried to pay attention to anything but his prominent muscles. And that was when he saw it again.

That strange hole.

Sitting down on the bed next to the man, he lifted his hand and held it over it.

"How could a person live with a hole in their body like this…? And where did it come from?"

When he felt something touch his thigh, he turned.

It was Pantera. He had put his paw on his leg and was staring at him.

With a deeper blush than before, Ichigo brought his hand away from Grimmjow's hole.

"Thank you for saving Grimmjow."

Brown eyes going wide, the boy stared at the beast in front of him in disbelief. He had just…  _TALKED_  TO HIM! "I must be dreaming… Animals can't talk…" he said with a grin.

"This is no dream, human. You are wide awake."

"This is… this is not possible! How can I be speaking with  _an animal_?!"

"It's quite possible."

"How… How can we be talking? Who are you?" Ichigo asked, getting closer to the panther.

"I am Grimmjow's spirit animal. We are speaking telepathically because you, for some strange reason, have Grimmjow's Reiatsu emanating inside you. Since that is the case, I figured I would try to speak with you. I am glad it worked. Again, thank you for saving Grimmjow."

"Spirit animal…?"

"Yes. He saved me as a cub, and we found out we could communicate with each other. He did not originally want to bring me along with him, but he did when I told him I would get stronger. Instead of abandoning me, he found it in his heart to embrace me... so to speak. That act of selflessness, something you probably realize he isn't keen on, allowed me to help him in battle when he requests it."

"Why is his spirit animal a panther?"

"Because Grimmjow, in a past life, was a panther as well. All of the Espada's spirit animals are animals with which they were in a previous life."

"Then… what is Grimmjow? Why does he have a hole and skeletal mask on his body?" Ichigo asked, looking over to the man.

"I cannot answer that question. It is to be revealed to you when he is ready to tell you. But… I will tell you that you and he share a similar blood."

"Huh?! Wait! WE'RE RELATED?!"

"Hmm… Not in the means you understand as you are. What do humans call it…?" Pantera asked, closing his eyes to think of the word. "Family? Yes. You two are not family. You just share a similar, mixed blood."

"Then… Grimmjow is-"

"The full truth will be revealed to you in time. I only hope that it is Grimmjow who will be the one to tell you. It is a grim truth, after all..."

"Let me just ask-"

"No, human. It is my turn to ask you a question." Pantera interrupted, more serious than he had been before. "I've answered enough of yours. I probably told you more than Grimmjow wanted you to know…"

Ichigo jumped at the suddenness of this forceful nature, but nodded in response. "Okay." He said.

The room grew quiet. Pantera looked at Grimmjow's sleeping form, and then turned back to look Ichigo in the eyes. "Do you love Grimmjow?"


	17. heartfelt and heartless

Comfortably seated out in the courtyard of Grimmjow's quarters, Ichigo watched the townspeople go about their business… as he usually did.

An entire day had passed since Grimmjow lost his arm, and the man had been asleep ever since Ichigo started treating him.

The time was about noon-ish. The boy could tell from the amount of people exiting businesses and going into restaurants. There were also the carpenters who had stopped working and were now eating lunches in small groups near the construction sites.

After a while, he got a bit bored watching people eating.

When he saw a man pull a rose from behind his back and give it to a woman in the street, he got much more interested and watched attentively to see her response. Even from his distance from them, it seemed like the man was nervous. This woman was probably someone he'd been pursuing for a while and finally mustered up the courage needed to tell her how he felt.

He leaned forward, full of anticipation. His brown eyes widened when the woman threw the rose to the ground and jumped onto the man, wrapping her arms around his neck affectionately.

"….."

It made him think about Grimmjow, strangely enough. From something like that, he imagined it'd be Inoue or Nelliel that would come into his mind. But no. It was Grimmjow he was thinking about now.

Frowning, he remembered his speechlessness at Pantera's question.

_"Do I love Grimmjow...?"_

Sure, he thought Grimmjow was attractive, but that didn't mean he  _loved_  him.

Though, that wasn't what he told Pantera.

When asked, he was shocked at first. The whole situation was strange, talking to an animal, but being asked something like that made it so much stranger. What scared him though was his inability to give an answer of yes or no.

" _I couldn't possibly… love Grimmjow… That's insane."_  He thought, unsure of his feelings.

Disrupted from his thoughts by noises in Grimmjow's room, he turned around and got up off of the grass. He went inside and stopped when he saw Grimmjow holding on to that ivory sword of his.

"Grimmjow! Are you okay?" he asked.

Turning, Grimmjow squinted at Ichigo. "I'm not a fucking baby!" he responded, looking down at his bandages disapprovingly.

"I… I did the best I could to clean your wounds. I was-"

"Nobody asked for your help." Grimmjow interrupted, walking over to his smashed closet and taking a jacket from it.

"Worried." Ichigo finished, glaring at the ungrateful man as he pulled the jacket over his head.

Pantera came in from the terrace and watched Grimmjow as he rolled up one of his sleeves.

Getting to the other sleeve, Grimmjow grew angry at the fact that he couldn't do the same to it thanks to Tousen. Lifting his right arm, he put the sleeve in his mouth between his teeth and ripped it off, very close to the seams.

Walking over to Grimmjow, Ichigo put his hand on the man's stubbed arm in a comforting manner. "It must have been hard… I'm sorry this happened to you. Are you okay?" he said.

"Get off my dick, Court Guard. I don't need your sympathy."

Ignoring the man's curt words, Ichigo continued talking. "What are you doing with your sword? Where are you going?"

"Hunting for something to kill, now leave me alone!"

"…Grimmjow! Stop pushing me away! I'm only trying to help you!"

"I was strong before you came, and I'm still strong! I don't need you coddling me like a fucking baby!"

"I'm not, I'm just worried-"

"Don't be! I'm nothing to you! Always have been, and always will be! No get outta my fucking face with your bull!"

Grimmjow didn't mean to lash out on him the way he did. But the kid was asking for it by trying to help him when what he wanted was to prove he was still just as capable as he'd always been even without his left arm.

He would show the Court Guard. He would show Tousen how wrong he was to not kill him. And he would show Aizen that he was far from weak.

Gripping the sheathed weapon in his hand, he walked to the door and unsealed it. When Pantera made to come with him, he told him to stay behind. It wasn't like he would go into his Resurrección state to fight a bunch of mindless animals.

Ichigo watched as Grimmjow exited the room and sealed the doors behind him. Sure, he was upset with him for talking to him the way he had, but… he was still worried about him. Ever since he returned to Los Noches with him, Grimmjow had been so much more different. So much more considerate. Now it seemed like he was reverting to the way he was when they'd first met, and he didn't want that to happen.

"Human, I don't think you should judge Grimmjow for his harsh words. He's very emotional over the loss of his arm… and the loss of some of his power."

"Power?" Ichigo echoed, turning to the panther approaching him.

"Well, yes. I'd say that now… you and he would be evenly matched if you fought."

"No way! That… that can't be! I've dealt with Grimmjow and almost defeated him before!"

"I don't understand how that could be. The way you are now, your Reiatsu would be unable to best his. I doubt it would be once it returned to the state it was in when you first arrived, either."

Ichigo stopped talking. It occurred to him that he only almost beat Grimmjow when he used that Skifenian power. Not to mention, Grimmjow had this spirit animal of his that he'd never seen him use before.

" _Could Grimmjow really have killed me any time he wanted…?"_  he thought.

If that was true… then that meant-

"Grimmjow must have gotten a ways away from the kingdom by now. I'm going to watch him to make sure he doesn't do anything foolish."

"I'm coming with you!" Ichigo insisted.

The two of them rushed out to the courtyard and were surprised to see that Grimmjow was already fighting with a large scorpion out in the desert. He was doing fairly well against it, too.

"I guess… I was worried about him for nothing." The boy commented as he watched his man take down his opponent by running underneath it and slicing through it with his sword as he did.

Standing with his front paws on the stone railing, Pantera kept a serious look on his face. "You may be at ease, but that's because you don't know much about this kingdom. It's not the animals I fear." He said, his piercing blue eyes not leaving his master for a second.

"From the looks of it, I don't see any other threats. I think Grimmjow is going to be-"

Ichigo's sentence was cut short when he saw a horde of large scorpions emerge from the sand, followed by an even bigger scarred one with four tails.

Both he and Pantera watched, completely speechless, as Grimmjow was surrounded by them.

"Fight Grimmjow!" Ichigo hollered, realizing he needed to say something encouraging.

"He can't hear you from this distance. Plus, that barrier regulates loud noises. The only time we hear things in here is when they're high in volume… but even then, they're severely de-pitched. We'd really only be hearing a fraction of it." Pantera commented.

The closer the scorpions got to Grimmjow, the more anxious Ichigo felt himself getting. It was because Grimmjow was not moving at all. He was just standing there like a rock.

When he saw him lift his sword up to the height of his torso and put his hand on it, he was curious about what that would do.

Suddenly, a large explosion of energy whipped about, creating a sandstorm around Grimmjow and the scorpions.

Ichigo couldn't see through it, and it made him start sweating from the fear not being able to see Grimmjow caused.

He was so focused on the rising sand that he nearly jumped out of his skin when a scorpion came flying out of it and skidded through the sand. To his surprise, it did not get up once it came to a stop.

Looking back to the sandstorm, that was now calming, his eyebrows knitted down when he saw four more fly out in four different directions.

"He… he won!" the boy said happily.

"No, there's still one more." Pantera informed, his expression not changing.

The sandstorm calmed, and Ichigo stepped back when he got a look at Grimmjow.

On him, there was a gray, armor-like covering. His legs were no longer shaped like a human's. Instead, they were similar to an animal's; particularly, a panther's hind legs. He could also see that Grimmjow had a long mane of hair flowing down his back. And from their distance, he also saw that his ears also stuck out and were covered in dark teal fur.

"What... is that…?" he asked aloud, not even realizing he'd done so.

"That is Grimmjow's Resurrección state."

"What's that?"

"A form in which he unleashes all of his power. All of the Espada can do it, but the top four are restricted from doing so inside the kingdom. The power of that form is cataclysmic."

"Why would he use something like that against mere scorpions?"

"Because that particular scorpion standing in front of him is the king of all scorpions." Pantera answered.

"What?! What provoked him to come out to fight Grimmjow!?" Ichigo asked, turning to the panther beside him confusedly.

"The answer is obvious. Grimmjow called him out."

"Wha- Why…?"

"Because he wants to prove his power. That particular scorpion would take at least two or three of the lower ranking Espada to defeat it. Grimmjow, while no longer among the Espada ranks, still maintains the skills and power of one. Especially compared to the other Arrancar. He must think defeating it will show everyone that he's still as strong as he always was before they can even find out his power has been decreased."

Ichigo turned back to the desert and was surprised to see that Grimmjow was not on offense this time around. He was doing nothing but defending against the creature. It seemed all he could do to not be struck down by it.

Four tails to worry about, plus two pincers, and six legs… so many appendages were being thrown his way… It was only a matter of time before he slipped up and was struck by one.

"Grimmjow…" the boy said in a low voice. He quickly turned back to Pantera. "Can't you go and help him?! Aren't you supposed to be there for him in times like this?!" he exclaimed, voice full of emotion.

The panther, for the first time since they'd been outside, turned his attention away from Grimmjow to look up at Ichigo. "I cannot." He said calmly.

"Why not!?"

"Because he has not called for my help. I would only be in his way if I went down there without him calling for the boost in Reiatsu I can give him."

Ichigo gritted his teeth, grabbed the animal by the fur on his neck, and looked him in the eyes. "IT DOESN'T MATTER IF HE CALLS YOU OR NOT! HE NEEDS HELP! DIDN'T YOU TELL ME YOU TOLD HIM YOU'D GET STRONGER?! WHAT USE ARE YOU IF YOU ONLY WATCH HIM DIE?!" he shouted angrily, his voice echoing on the wind.

Pantera stared up at Ichigo in shock. He didn't realize this side of the human was buried underneath that cool façade of his. But more importantly, he was shocked at the boy's words.

What he said… was absolutely right!

He told Grimmjow he would get stronger after he'd been saved by him. He said he wouldn't let him down. But all this time of listening to Grimmjow's orders to stay behind is what made him do the exact opposite of what he promised to do.

As he stared up into the fiery eyes of this boy, he felt himself changing. Something was growing inside him… a burning sensation to save Grimmjow.

It was strange how this human could bring about such change in him and his master, just from coming into their lives. But even so, he was truly glad that he had.

"You're… absolutely right. I will go to his side, but first I must retrieve something since I cannot break Grimmjow's barrier…" He said.

Ichigo released his fur and watched as he hurried back into the room.

Turning back to where Grimmjow was, he watched as the man was knocked into the sky and then slammed into the sand. The force of it was enough to make him crash onto the ground a few times as he skidded away from the massive scorpion.

Ichigo felt his heart racing at the thought of his captor dying.

Out of the corner or his eye, he saw something coming. It made tracks in the sand the same way people who could a Flash Step or Sonído did, making him realize it was a person. And they were charging straight at Grimmjow, who had just picked himself up out of the sand.

The world froze before him when he saw a double crescent-shaped blade fly out and slice through Grimmjow's armor like it was a thin sheet of paper.

Blood flew into the air and all over the sand, causing Ichigo's vision to go hazy and the world to shake around him. As Grimmjow fell to his knees, he could see his mouth open wide, and he realized he was crying out in agony.

The scream echoed across the sky and through the kingdom, then reached Ichigo's ears through the barrier. And it was as loud as the sun was bright.

"GRIIIMMJOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!" he screamed, jumping up onto the railing.

When he heard something metallic hit the ground behind him, the boy turned around.

Pantera was back, and he had brought Zangetsu with him.

Without hesitating, he jumped back to the ground and picked up his blade. There was no time for questions. No time to think.

Grimmjow was about to be killed, and he wouldn't allow it to happen!

Running back to the entrance to the courtyard, he turned around and kept his eyes on Grimmjow. Jumping up on the wall beside the threshold, he lifted his sword out in front of him, braced it with both hands, and used what little Reiatsu he had left to Flash Step across the courtyard, destroying the wall in the process.

Multiple bolts of lightning shot out as his sword collided with Aizen's forcefield, shocking him relentlessly.

"I WON'T LET HIM DIE LIKE THIS!" he shouted through the throbbing pain. "RRRAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

Pantera watched in awe as the forcefield was shattered and the Court Guard sailed across the kingdom, causing the earth to quake in his wake.

When he saw the forcefield start to reform, he realized he needed to go as well. Jumping through the narrowing opening, he fell to the city below, the wind pressure from the drop almost too much to counter. Instinctively using one of the sides of a building to break his fall, he landed on the ground unscathed, and then started running towards the kingdom gates.

" _Me too, human! I will be there for Grimmjow too!"_  he thought as he ran through the crowds of people.

* * *

"Aizen no longer needs you around, you brainless fucker!" Nnoitora shouted eagerly, and then flashed his long teeth at Grimmjow.

Lying on the ground in a pool of his own blood, Grimmjow clenched his fists, picking up sand in the process. He couldn't believe how things had turned out. First he was unable to defeat the sovereign scorpion, and now he was about to be killed. Picked off by another one of the shitheads who irritated him the most.

"You've outlived your usefulness. And you know what? Nobody's going to miss you once you're gone! All you ever were was an annoyance!" the raven-haired man continued, lifting his hefty sword.

He sent it flying in Grimmjow's direction, but a loud clang ensued instead.

"Huh?! Who the hell are you?!" he asked when he saw the person who had intercepted his attack.

Bracing his blade as best he could, Ichigo realized he should have just taken Grimmjow instead of trying to stop this guy's attack. His sword was incredibly heavy.

Snatching his weapon back by its long, black chain, Nnoitora started laughing hysterically.

"Hehahahahahaa! What the fuck is this, Grimmjow?! You need the help of some little bitch to save you?!" he shouted at the bluenette lying on the ground. Looking Ichigo in the eye, he smirked. "Where'd you come from? I've never seen you around before. You're wielding a sword, but you're not an Arrancar. Oh! I know now! You're Grimmjow's fuck toy from that shitty ass Seireitei kingdom,  _aren't you_?!"

Ichigo scowled, but took a few steps backwards until he reached Grimmjow.

When Nnoitora thrust his sword into the sand, he lowered his as well.

"Grimmjow!" he said, getting down on his knees to check the damage the man had received.

"The fuck are you doing here!?" Grimmjow responded, coughing out blood after he did.

Ichigo ignored his question. His brown eyes were focused on the cut that went from Grimmjow's shoulder all the way down to his lower abdomen. It was bleeding, but not as profusely as he thought it would. He concluded it was probably due to his strange armor.

" _I can't fight this guy and save Grimmjow at the same time… and that scorpion is still there waiting to make a move… More of them could appear to fight, and I don't know that I'd be able to handle them with no more Reiatsu."_  he thought, trying to gather as much information on his situation as he could.  _"Grimmjow… I won't let you die!"_

Realizing how hard it would be to deal with the man's wound, Ichigo decided he wouldn't. Instead, he would take Grimmjow and sneak him into Seireitei to have Inoue heal him. That was the best course of action, and it would also give Grimmjow his arm back.

He jumped when the man a few feet ahead of him picked his sword up out of the sand.

"Relax! I'm not about to kill either of you! I'm going to finish off that scorpion back there and show Grimmjow just how much better than him I am!" Nnoitora said. "But I won't let you take him away so you can save him, either. I want him to die watching me kill something he could never hope to! Bleeding to death and admitting his failure as a warrior! That is a fitting end for that bastard!"

Ichigo scowled at the man once again as he turned around and started running towards the towering scorpion with his strangely shaped sword on his shoulder.

"Get the fuck outta here!" he heard Grimmjow say.

Looking down at him, he furrowed his eyebrows. "No. I'm never going to abandon you. I won't let you die!" he said.

Grimmjow's cerulean eyes went wide when the boy put a hand under his neck and legs.

Ichigo did his best to pick Grimmjow up, noting how heavy he was. "Damn armor…!" he grunted when he finally stood up straight, and then started fast-walking away from the two enemies who had started fighting.

When a light brown-haired man appeared in front of him, he stopped abruptly and consequently dropped Grimmjow in the sand, regretfully watching him tense up in pain.

"Grimmjow!"

"Sorry kid, but Nnoitora-sama said that nuisance is to die in this desert. If he does not feel the need to do it, then I will complete the task myself. Thus, you realize I cannot allow you to take him." Tesla said. He drew his sword slowly, letting it glisten in the sunlight, and started walking towards them. "Please don't resent me for this, but I'm ending both of your paths here and now."


	18. nightmare's end

"Relax! I'm not about to kill either of you! I'm going to finish off that scorpion back there and show Grimmjow just how much better than him I am!" Nnoitra said. "But I won't let you take him away so you can save him, either. I want him to die watching me kill something he could never hope to! Bleeding to death and admitting his failure as a warrior! That is a fitting end for that bastard!"

Ichigo scowled at the man once again as he turned around and started running towards the towering scorpion with his strangely shaped sword on his shoulder.

"Get the fuck outta here!" he heard Grimmjow say.

Looking down at him, he furrowed his eyebrows. "No. I'm never going to abandon you. I won't let you die!" he said.

Grimmjow's cerulean eyes went wide when the boy put a hand under his neck and legs.

Ichigo did his best to pick Grimmjow up, noting how heavy he was. "Damn armor…!" he said when he finally stood up straight, and then started fast-walking away from the two enemies who had started fighting.

When a light brown-haired man appeared in front of him, he stopped abruptly and consequently dropped Grimmjow in the sand, regretfully watching him tense up in pain.

"Grimmjow!"

"Sorry kid, but Nnoitra-sama said that nuisance is to die in this desert. If he does not feel the need to do it, then I will complete the task myself. Thus, you realize I cannot allow you to take him." Tesla said. He drew his sword slowly, letting it glisten in the sunlight, and started walking towards them. "Please don't resent me for this, but I'm ending both of your paths here and now."

…

Knocked from Grimmjow's side by a swift kick in the ribs from Tesla, Ichigo tumbled across a number of sand dunes, coming to a stop a good distance from his defenseless captor.

Panting heavily with his left cheek lying on top of the sand, the boy held both of his hands against side firmly, groaning in displeasure at the thought of a few of his ribs having possibly been broken when Tesla's foot connected with them. But he knew this was not the time to be worried about his own condition.

Through the pain still raging at his side, he got up on his elbow and saw that man standing like a statue over Grimmjow, who was unable to move, let alone defend himself.

"Grimmjow!" he thought anxiously, his breathing heavy from the force of impact his torso had taken.

It was obvious he was ready to keel over at any second.

Tesla turned his cold gaze from Ichigo to stare down at the former Espada in front of him contemptuously. "I can't think of a better way to eradicate you than to make you suffer and then blast you to bits." He said, then bent down beside the man.

Ichigo's froze when he saw Tesla pull his sword out. His brown eyes widened when the man lifted it up and then stabbed it down deep inside Grimmjow's open wound.

Grimmjow's resulting blood curdling scream left him trembling all over.

"Now, now. Please keep it down. You're making too much of a fuss." Tesla said, harshly clasping his hand against Grimmjow's mouth to quell his screams.

He used his sword to slowly rip through the gaping wound Nnoitra had given him earlier a few times. His goal was to tear further into the exposed muscles just beneath the lesion, and he did just that, watching almost emotionlessly as a tear escaped one of his victim's tightly closed eyes.

"STOOOOOP!" he heard Ichigo shouting from where he had kicked him to.

"Don't fear. You'll be the next one I take care of, once I'm finished with this one." He replied calmly, not even bothering to look at the boy.

Ichigo bit his bottom lip and gripped Zangetsu tightly in his right hand. He realized he was shivering when he heard the chains at the hilt of his Zanpakutō start to rattle.

"Ichigo, you do not have any more Reiatsu. And I don't think you can use the Reiatsu from that Espada that is here within you. There is nothing you would be able to do against that man now." Zangetsu said with an almost regretful tone in his voice.

He could see the desperation and pain that witnessing Grimmjow being tortured caused the boy, and that in turn caused him pain as well.

"I don't care!" Ichigo shouted.

Picking himself up off the ground, he screamed out in rage when he saw Tesla move his hand down and then used it to start choking Grimmjow.

Unable to take any more of the man tormenting his former captor, he started running towards them. He had decided that his own safety was irrelevant. Saving Grimmjow was what mattered most to him now.

"I'll do whatever it takes to stop you!" he thought, fooling himself into believing he could in his current condition.

Before he got close, something large and gray came bolting out of nowhere, forcibly knocking Tesla away from Grimmjow.

"Pantera!" Ichigo exclaimed when he saw that it was him, running over to where he was at Grimmjow's side.

The panther did not respond. He instead dashed over to Tesla, jumped onto his back, and then started clawing away at him.

Ichigo used the opportunity and turned to Grimmjow, then fell to his knees beside him as he'd done after he'd saved him from Nnoitra's attack earlier.

"Grimmjow!" he shouted, bending forward and pressing his forehead against the man's armored, wounded stomach as though he was mourning over him.

Said man couched out a mouthful of blood before responding with a raspier voice than he usually had. "… I… thought I told you… to get… out of-"

"NO! I WON'T LEAVE YOU BEHIND!" Ichigo interrupted, his tone a wrathful one.

Finding the courage to lift his head from the man's stomach, he did so and looked Grimmjow over to check his condition. After seeing the blood and tears all over the other's face, he grimaced. Using one of his hands, he started wiping it clean. It helped him realize, from the warm feeling he received as his fingers ran along Grimmjow's face, that he, no matter what he was biologically, was also human beneath his white armor.

A large explosion to his left stopped him amidst his attempt to help the man.

Turning to face it, he was alarmed to see Pantera lying on the ground and trying to pick himself up to no avail. That man seemed to have vanished, and all that was left was a massive cloud of sand, which Ichigo assumed was where he was hiding. It was very similar to what had surrounded Grimmjow when he transformed.

When a large shadow started to appear as the smoke cleared, the boy's brown eyes went wide with fear.

"Oh no-"

Tearing through the rising clouds of sand and smoke, Tesla bolted to where his new targets were.

Ichigo was undeniably horrified to see that he had grown at least three times in size. That was all he could make out before he was knocked from Grimmjow's side once more by a powerful kick from the massive monster. This time, unlike the first time he'd been kicked, the attack left him numb and sent pulsations of pain through his entire body. In his head particularly, it felt like he was having a thousand headaches at once, accompanied by giant, ringing bells.

There was literally nothing he could do but be sent flying across the sky and crashing into the sand a few yards away.

As Tesla stared at him from their distance, it caused the motionless boy a great deal of fear. It was because the beast's eyes were forebodingly dark, there was light brown fur flowing from his lower torso to his hooves, he had sharp, curved tusks, an extremely bulky upper body, and his size, compared to Grimmjow's, was enough to make him realize there was nothing he could even attempt to do to save the man. How could he when he was practically paralyzed from fear mixed with injury and had no Reiatsu left to fight?

The only thing he could do was watch as the monster reached down and picked Grimmjow up from the ground with one of his large hands.

Tesla squinted spitefully at the beaten warrior in his clutch. Using his free hand, he reached out and grabbed Grimmjow's long tail and used that to hold him suspended in the air, swinging him back and forth with it mockingly.

"Punishment for the little kitty." Ichigo heard the swine-like brute say.

A single tear escaped one of his eyes, falling to the sand that he laid against, and he grimaced agonizingly when he saw Tesla start slamming Grimmjow onto the ground, using his tail to keep him within his grasp.

It was merciless; a devastating act to watch. What was worse, he could actually feel the ground shake each time Grimmjow collided with the sand.

Grimmjow, for as injured as he already was, was unable to do anything but open his mouth as if he were screaming out in pain each time his body was slammed against the ground.

"I wonder-! If this tail of yours-! Will tear off-! If I keep this up!" Tesla said between lifting Grimmjow into the air and striking him down against the sand.

Loud 'booms' echoed in the area, reaching Ichigo's ears and making him grit his teeth. "Stop… it…" he mumbled, unable to take any more of the horrible sight.

Tesla continued his punishment, making sure to spout antagonizing statements about Grimmjow at every chance he was allowed.

"Stop it."

Grimmjow cried out in agony, and his dark blood was spilled all over the sand, leaving stains where it landed.

"Stop it!"

Tesla grinned and stated that he has detested Grimmjow since longer than he could even remember. He then tossed him up into the air, only to run him through the chest with his right tusk. Multiple trails of dark red blood trickled down the ivory appendage, and then Tesla leered at the motionless bluenette.

"STOP IIIT!" Ichigo shouted, breaking free from his vegetable-like state and sitting up on his arms.

"There is no reason for me to stop. Scum like this should be wiped off the face of Earthia." Snatching Grimmjow off his tusk, Tesla started squeezing him with a death grip in an attempt to destroy his thick-shelled armor.

When that didn't show any signs of working, he decided he would change things up and torture two people at once.

Holding Grimmjow up in Ichigo's direction like he was some sort of unattainable prize, he made sure the boy was still watching him.

Then, releasing Grimmjow from his hand, he left him suspended in air for about half a second. He knew that time would feel like eons to the orange-haired boy on the ground ahead of him because he probably knew what was coming next.

Ichigo's orange bangs blew back violently from the gusts of wind caused by Tesla slamming his hands together with Grimmjow in between them, and he stared with a horror-struck expression.

It felt… unreal. Everything about this moment, it just had to be fake. It must have been a nightmare. All of it.

And that's what he told himself it was—a nightmare.

Tesla slowly opened his hands and let Grimmjow fall, but quickly slammed his hoofed foot against him before he could hit the ground, sending him flying into the air. He jumped up next to him and punched the man, sending him soaring across the sky and landing off in the distance.

Ichigo, the poor thing, was completely motionless through it all.

He couldn't even move when the large beast started walking his way.

It was obvious to Tesla he had stopped responding due to the stimuli, which were the horrible things he'd just done to Grimmjow. He probably even temporarily lost consciousness from the pure brutality of this experience. "Poor, sheltered soldier. This is the way things are out here in the desert." he thought.

The sand trembled with each step he took towards the helpless kid, the quakes seemingly got stronger and stronger as he got closer. He stopped in front of the boy, who had been telling him to stop attacking Grimmjow the entire time, and stared down at him.

Ichigo found it in himself to look up, slowly, at the creature before him. He only got a glimpse of its smirk before he was effortlessly kicked across the sky the same way Grimmjow had been.

Los Noches kingdom, along with the rest of the world, spun rapidly as he spiraled about in his airborne state. It was enough to make him close his eyes to avoid vomiting.

Landing stomach down on something that wasn't sand, and was in fact hard, he opened his eyes when he realized he'd hit Grimmjow.

It almost took everything out of him to push himself up, and when he did, he felt his heart nearly jump from his chest at the sight before him.

Grimmjow was lying, battered and at Death's door, on the ground beneath him. There was a lot of blood and sand all over his torso that was sourced from the wound Nnoitra had given him, blood coming from his nose and the corners of his mouth, and there was also a large trail of blood flowing down from his cerulean-colored hair. Another hole was now present in his torso from where Tesla had run him through with one of his tusks.

Saving him when he was so far gone seemed totally impossible at this point, but even so…

"Grimmjow…!" he cried. "Grimmjow, open your eyes!"

The thought of him dying… it was too much. Far too much for him to handle.

Quickly, he got down and pressed his ear against the man's chest. He was relieved to hear a heartbeat, but it was a very slow and faint one.

"Shit!" he cursed. "Grimmjow, please don't leave me alone! You can't die on me! After all, you… You said you'd keep me from dying! You have to help me! Help me help you! ...GRIMMJOOOW!"

His desperately sincere cries and pleas earned him no response whatsoever.

After taking a moment to realize they weren't going to save Grimmjow, he stopped shouting and just sat there with a hopeless expression on his face. He even felt his lips start to quiver at the thought of Grimmjow leaving him all alone.

The wind started blowing gently against him, and the area grew quiet once it stopped… almost too quiet...

It was then he remembered there was still a colossal-sized enemy who meant to slaughter them.

The world suddenly grew dark around him, mainly the sky, and he realized he'd seen this before… when he'd fought Grimmjow... and when Shinji had fought Grimmjow…

Not even turning around to see it, he knew a Cero was about to be fired at them to end their lives.

Looking down at Grimmjow, he didn't know what else to do, so he smiled and took the man's black fur-covered hand into his. "…We'll burn together." He said in a low voice, and then leaned forward. Using his body as a shield, he moved closer to him and pressed his lips against Grimmjow's swollen ones lovingly. Closing his eyes, he felt he had no regrets. Everyone back in Seireitei was safe, and that was all he needed to know to accept his end with dignity.

It was all he could do now, being with Grimmjow like this, considering he had no strength to run, nor the Reiatsu he needed to fight.

A calm voice faintly echoed across the land, but what it was saying was unintelligible.

Though, it sounded like it was saying, 'you have yet to begin your journey'.

Feeling a light squeeze from Grimmjow's hand, Ichigo was drawn from his final thoughts and squeezed it back tightly.

"It's okay now… We… won't be restricted by titles or kingdoms… in the afterlife. And we… we can be-"

The feeling of gravity becoming heavy interrupted his thoughts, and he heard the familiar sound of a Cero approaching, making him close his eyes even tighter than they'd been before. He was preparing himself for what he assumed would be a very painful ending.

Yet, nothing happened to him.

Then suddenly, an explosion sounded behind him and a gust of wind resulted, causing his shirt to lift up from the back.

The sound of three more Ceros echoed, but still nothing happened to him.

Three more explosions sounded behind him, causing the ground to quake and the wind to blow violently.

Taking a chance, he pulled his lips away from Grimmjow's and slowly sat up. Opening his eyes, he saw that he was still in the same desert as before, just a few miles away from Los Noches kingdom.

Upon glancing down, he also saw Grimmjow still lying in front of him in the same battered condition he was in before he closed his eyes. "We're… we're alive…"

"That's right. Everything will be okay." He heard someone say behind him.

Jumping when he realized whose voice it was, he whipped around and was surprised to see Nelliel's backside emerge from a cloud of smoke. "Nel…?!" he breathed out disbelievingly.

"Hello there, Ichigo. Sorry I'm late." The girl turned and looked over her shoulder at him. "I see you were finally able to find someone that your heart burns for." She said with a benevolent smile.


	19. escape and vows to meet again

Seated beside Grimmjow with his eyebrows high on his forehead and his mouth agape, Ichigo stared up at Nelliel. She was towering over him with the sun beaming down on her brilliantly as if she was some sort of angel.

Shaking himself out of his initial shock, the orange-haired boy spoke. "N-Nel… What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I came to save you, of course! I don't really understand it myself, but something just… told me to go to the kingdom gates. So that's exactly what I did. I climbed to the top of them and walked for a while, then that's when I saw you being given the business by that monster over there." The girl responded with a warm look that matched her sunlit glow.

Ichigo looked down to the golden sand all around him. All he could think about now was how he'd possibly be able to save Nel  _and_  Grimmjow at the same time.

"Don't think I need saving by you." Nelliel said as if she had read his thoughts, and then turned and bent down in front of him. "I'm can take care of myself. After all, I did just stop those Ceros that were about to blast you and your boyfriend to bits."

With cheeks so red they could put a rose to shame, Ichigo looked up from the ground to Nelliel. "He's  _NOT_  my boyfriend!" he said defensively.

"Oh yeah?" Nelliel asked, her big, light brown eyes moving to where Ichigo's hand was.

Ichigo followed her eyes and was embarrassed when he saw that he was still holding hands with Grimmjow.

Quickly, he snatched his hand from the man's grasp. And it hit him after he'd pulled it away that Grimmjow had actually been squeezing his hand back. But he didn't have time to think about what that meant with the nosy Nelliel staring at him suggestively.

"We're not together! I just-"

"Love him?"

"…Stop that, Nel…" the boy blushed, looking at Grimmjow's face from the corner of his eye.

"Well, putting you and your romance aside for the moment… what are you doing out here near Los Noches? I thought you went home a long time ago. I was surprised to see you of all people fighting over here…"

"I uh… I came back…"

"Is that so…? You didn't even come to see me even though you said you would…" Nelliel said, uttering the last part in an almost muted voice.

"I came back for a reason. A very important one, in fact. But I actually haven't even been here that long."

"I  _see_!" the girl said, elbowing the boy in front of her eagerly.

"Stop that! I told you, he and I  _aren't_  together!"

"Does being with him embarrass you? 'Cuz I won't judge for that kind of thing, you know…"

Ichigo closed his eyes and bawled his hands up into fists. "It's not like that at all! …There's… no way it could be…"

"Well, if that's what you say, guess I'll believe it… for now."

"…Anyway… Nel… How did you save us just now?"

The teal-haired girl turned and looked over her shoulder where their enemy was a ways away. She had to make sure they weren't in danger before she could continue speaking with Ichigo.

The large animal, which she could tell from Nnoitra being in the vicinity was Tesla, had only just started heading their way. And he was slow about it.

"Ichigo, I deflected that guy's Ceros so they wouldn't kill you and your-"

"Don't you say it."

"Hee hee! Whatever! I… I can't really explain it much more than I have right now. We're about to be bombarded, so I'll go take care of Tesla before he can attack… and then I'll deal with Nnoitra."

Ichigo's eyebrows flew up his forehead. "What?! You-how can you say that!? That guy is an  _Espada_ , right?!"

"There's a lot about me you don't know, Ichigo." Nelliel began. Standing up, she smiled down at the boy once more. "You'll be safe if you don't move from that spot."

Ichigo's brown eyes went wide when the girl turned around and a large '3' appeared underneath her shirt as it blew up in the wind.

Grimmjow, hanging on to consciousness by a thread, opened his eyes as much as he could and looked up at Ichigo. He couldn't believe how far this kid was going for him considering all he had put him through in the past. It was strange having someone go out of their way to save him, and it wasn't something he'd be forgetting anytime soon… even if it did disgust him.

His cerulean eyes went wide when he looked past Ichigo and saw a large '3' tattooed in the same style as the other Espada's on a girl's back.

"Argh…!" he groaned when he felt his chest start to sting.

Ichigo turned and looked back down at Grimmjow quickly. "Grimmjow!" he said.

"Ichigo…" Nelliel called.

"Yeah?"

"I take back what I said just now. It would be best for you to take your man and go. Get as far away from this place as you can, and don't look back."

With wide eyes, Ichigo responded to Nelliel's order. "What do you mean by that?! What about you?!"

"I already told you. I can handle myself. But you… you're in pretty rough shape, and Grimmjow is in even deeper than you are. If you can get him into your kingdom, do that. Because there will be war if you take him back to Los Noches and he recovers."

A look of bewilderment found its way to the orange-haired boy's face. "War…?" he asked.

"Aizen left the kingdom last night, so his influence over the Espada has been somewhat diminished. If, by chance, I cannot stop Nnoitra here, the battle between him and Grimmjow would carry on within the kingdom walls. You must realize by now the two of them don't care much for the safety of the citizens. So we have to prevent them from meeting and engaging each other again at all costs. That's why you need to take Grimmjow far away from here. It doesn't matter where you take him, just go."

"Nel…"

"You don't have much time, Ichigo! Tesla is coming this way!" said girl exclaimed.

Ichigo closed his eyes tight for a moment. It wasn't like he didn't want to go… It was just… he didn't want to leave Nelliel fighting an Espada and his follower all alone. It wasn't what he was trained to do as a Court Guard.

But… as a human, he did realize Grimmjow was in danger of losing his life. Nelliel had a good point. If he got healed and met that other guy again, they'd most likely fight, disregarding the people who got caught up in their battle.

"Go human!" he heard Pantera call from a distance.

"Now's your chance! You might not get another one!" Nelliel added.

Feeling the ground begin to tremble beneath him, Ichigo knew Tesla was approaching, and fast.

Opening his eyes again, he looked up at Nelliel. "You'd better catch up with me." He said.

"Right! Now stop wasting time!" the girl said, and then took off running towards the approaching enemy.

"Pantera! Come on!" the orange-haired boy shouted.

When the panther shook his head at him, he was surprised.

"I trust you will take care of Grimmjow until he is well! Now get going! I'll aid the girl!" Pantera said, dashing off behind Nelliel when she passed him.

"… Okay! I understand! I'm leaving this to you two, then! We'll all meet up in Seireitei in a few days! Promise me!"

"Yeah, yeah!" he heard Nelliel say, before she collided with Tesla, causing a large wave of sand to shoot skyward.

Ichigo looked down to Grimmjow, and saw that his cerulean-colored eyes were open.

"Grimmjow… I'm taking you now. You'll be okay with me, I promise." He said.

"Tch… don't bother… I'd rather die here than… trust you."

"No objections, you hear?"

Carefully, Ichigo lifted the man up into a sitting position before he leaned forward with him. Pulling Grimmjow's right arm over his shoulder, he hoisted him up piggyback style and then took off in the direction of Seireitei with him.

"Be careful…" he spoke quietly while looking over his shoulder at Nelliel.

Just as he thought he was a good enough distance away from the fighting, something came out of nowhere and collided with the side of his head, knocking him to the ground and causing Grimmjow to fall off his back.

Wiping the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, he realized Grimmjow had fallen into the sand and that probably caused him a lot of pain. Quickly, he turned and looked over his shoulder to see what had hit him.

"And just where the hell d'ya think you're going?" Nnoitra asked with a malicious look plastered on his face.

"You…!" Ichigo said angrily.

Turning from Ichigo to look over at Grimmjow, Nnoitra shook his head at him disapprovingly. "What kind of warrior are you if you need to be saved by a bunch of children, huh?!"

Grimmjow stared up at the man without saying a word.

"That's fine. Yeah. It's okay. Because after I wipe you maggots off the face of Earthia, I'm going to take the crown from Aizen and become king! Grimmjow, you couldn't hold a candle to my power… and neither can your little fuck toy." Nnoitra said, and then turned and started walking in Ichigo's direction.

Grimmjow bawled his hand up into a fist and gritted his teeth as the man got closer and closer to his prey. "Don't you… fucking touch him!" he shouted, seeing red.

"Do something about it." The raven-haired man mocked as he continued walking towards the boy.

Ichigo stood from the sand and held Zangetsu up defensively as Nnoitra approached him.

When the man stuck out his tongue, his brown eyes went wide.

"Number five. I'm the fifth Espada, Nnoitra Gilga. I'm much stronger than that piece of shit back there, and you couldn't even beat him and escape from being his cum dumpster." Nnoitra said while dragging his heavy, double-crescent shaped sword through the sand behind him.

Ichigo's eyebrows knitted down. "… Who said… who ever said… I wasn't okay with being Grimmjow's  _cum dumpster_?!"

"Hmph. So you're  _that_  kind of man, huh? All the more reason for me to put you down like a diseased dog!"

Without knowing what else to do with no more Reiatsu, when Nnoitra got close enough, Ichigo kneeled down.

"Don't go thinking I want anything like what that shitbag wanted from you. He's an anomaly among anomalies." Nnoitra said with a disgusted expression.

"Hmph! Don't think I would submit to anyone  _but_  that shitbag!" Ichigo retorted, grabbing up a handful of sand and throwing it in the man's face.

When he saw that it had successfully blinded his one eye, he got up and sprinted past him, heading to where Grimmjow was.

Hearing hurried footsteps approaching as he ran, the boy turned.

"Not so fast." Nnoitra unexpectedly said, coming right up beside him.

Ichigo's gasped when he realized the man had just been acting like he had been blinded.

He turned around when he heard something else approaching him fast, and felt his mental train of thought shut down from what he saw.

It was the man's strangely shaped sword coming to cut him asunder.

"DIE YOU LITTLE FAGGOT!"

Ichigo tripped on his feet and tumbled forward. He closed his eyes tight in anticipation of the moment, but instead of being sliced in two, he heard the sound of metal loudly clanging against metal.

Opening his eyes, he slowly turned around, wondering who had saved him this time.

"Ichigo! You need to be faster than that if you wanna save yourself and your boyfriend's hide!" Nelliel said commandingly.

"How…?" Ichigo began.

Moving over to get a better view of how Nelliel had saved him, he couldn't believe his eyes when he saw her bracing a sword against Nnoitra's.

"Nel-"

"Get going! I can handle Nnoitra and Tesla without your help! What's more, you'd only be in the way here with no Reiatsu. But you can be of use to Grimmjow! You're a medic, right? Well do what you can for him and let me handle this!"

"Tch! I didn't even feel you here, Nelliel!" Nnoitra said, pulling his blade back to his side by its long, black chain.

"That's because you were too busy fighting that scorpion. And you were so focused on killing Grimmjow and Ichigo that you didn't pay attention to who was whipping your Fracción's ass."

Ichigo took his chance and got up quickly, then rushed to Grimmjow's side. "Grimmjow! I'm sorry I dropped you! We're getting out of here!" he said, picking him up piggyback style again.

"No… Put me down… I… I can still-"

"We're going!" the boy interrupted. Looking over his shoulder, he stared at Nelliel's backside. "You'd better meet up with me!"

"I will! Who knows? I might end up saving you again!" the girl responded.

With a nod, Ichigo tightened his grip on the underside of Grimmjow's armored thighs. Even with the pain from his sides bothering him, or the man's raspy and disapproving remarks filling his ear, he started running. Looking out to the horizon, he realized he couldn't see Seireitei any longer.

"What's that?! I can't… I can't see anything on the horizon!" he shouted.

"A fucking sandstorm! Put me down!" Grimmjow answered angrily, coughing out blood after he did. "You'll only… get lost and… get us both killed…! If I'm gonna die… I at least want to… die fighting!"

"No." Ichigo said authoritatively as he continued to run. What Nelliel said about Grimmjow and Nnoitra found its way back to his thoughts. There was no point in going back to Los Noches for the safety of the citizens, but also because the help they needed now was in Seireitei, even if it would take a while to get there with his Reiatsu only just starting to regenerate. Seireitei was where he had intended to take Grimmjow when he first arrived on this battlefield, anyway. "Even if the trip seems like a death trap, we'll make it. I know we will!"

With a promise in his heart to make it home safely, he was off with Grimmjow into the foreboding desert.

* * *

**Me:**  So Ichigo, how does it feel to have Grimmjow's blood running down your back?

**Ichigo:**  *running* It's... warm and... it's kinda uncomfortable for me because I know he's in pain... There's a hole in his chest and a large gash going down his torso.

**Grimmjow:**  *coughs* Put me down or I'll bite your ear off, Court Guard!

**Me:**  Don't worry, Ichi. You'll be clean in just a little while. Hee hee!

**Ichigo:**  *squinting* What do you have planned...?

**Me:**  You'll see... don't get too lost... hee hee. *grins*


	20. malice, tears and footprints in the sand

Elegantly stepping out of the way of one of Tesla's attacks, Nel thought she had enough time to counter him, but something caught hold of her leg just before she could.

Turning to look over her shoulder, she saw Nnoitra smirking as he held onto her leg tightly.

"Hey! No fair! Let go!" she exclaimed.

"This ain't about fair! You stepped into a fight that didn't concern you!" Nnoitra retorted, lifting the girl up into the air and then slamming her down against the sand.

Just as he was about to send his heavy sword down on her, Pantera charged him, digging his nails into the man's Hierro.

"Fuck!" he exclaimed, and started dancing around trying to get the animal off.

Nel got up on her elbow and gasped when she saw Nnoitra grab Pantera by the neck and slam him onto the ground. "Stop it!" she said before the man's foot connected with the panther's side, sending him flying across the sky.

"That'll teach ya!" Nnoitra said angrily. He brought his hand up and held on to where the panther had pierced his Hierro on his back. "Shit… If there's one thing Grimmjow was good for was persistence, even when he had no chance of winning. But for his spirit animal to pierce my Hierro, that's simply unbelieva-"

"You jerk! He's an innocent animal!" Nel called, getting up on her feet again.

"Shut up!" the Quinto Espada snapped. "Tesla! Take care of that nuisance!"

"Right!" Tesla nodded and turned, then started heading to where Pantera was lying.

Nel gripped her sword, feeling pure anger for the first time in a very long time. If there was one thing she couldn't stand, it was animal abuse. She momentarily gave up on fighting Nnoitra, deciding she would take care of Tesla before he could do anything to Grimmjow's animal.

Just as she started running towards him, the ground started quaking, causing her to lose her balance and fall face first into the sand.

Nnoitra turned when the sovereign scorpion emitted a screeching noise. Suddenly, three large scorpions emerged from the sand, surrounding Tesla. "Wh-what the fuck is this?! Why are they surrounding him when that useless excuse for a spirit animal is lying on the ground over there?!" he said.

" _It's because they feed on maliciousness, and he reeks of it!"_  Nel thought, pulling her arm out from the sand.

Tesla smirked when the scorpions got closer to him because none of them were large enough to frighten him.

Picking herself up off the ground, Nel realized this was exactly the kind of situation she needed. "Oh! That's good! I don't have to worry about him for a while, then. Nnoitra!" she called.

Said man turned to her. "The hell do you want?"

"Let's do this! I'm gonna take you out before Tesla can finish off those scorpions!"

"Even though I want to kill you right now, the smart thing for me to do would be to finish off that king scorpion so we won't face any more interruptions." Nnoitra responded, and then started heading towards the four-tailed scorpion.

"Tch! Just like you to run away from a fight with me! Once a weakling, always a weakling!" the teal-haired girl baited.

As expected, Nnoitra stopped dead in his tracks.

"Nelliel…" he began, "I'm going to kill you. And then I'm going to hunt down that little faggot who ran off with Grimmjow. When I find him, I'll make sure to cut his head off and mount in my quarters!"

Nel's light brown eyes went wide and her eyebrows furrowed.

There was no way she would allow it. There was no way she would let harm come to Ichigo. And that was because he was someone who had become very special to her. She was able to have fun with him, have deep talks with him, she admired him and his optimism… And most of all, he was the first person in a long time who treated her as if she were a  _friend_.

"I'll take him out just like I did your old Fracción all that time ago!"

The girl did not verbally respond to the provocation. She simply stood up and raised her sword in front of her, its position matching the horizon's.

"Declare…" she stated, causing her body to glow a light shade of red.

Nnoitra's eyes went wide. "Wha-"

"Gamuza."

With the last of the three scorpions falling before him, Tesla turned around when he felt a gust of wind filled with Reiatsu fly past him.

Pantera, from his great distance away from the battlefield, also looked up to notice a silhouette in the smoke screen of sand. His blue eyes went wide when he saw that girl emerge from it. Her body had morphed into that of a centaur's, and it was covered in light brown fur from the waist down. On top of her head was a pair of white horns that were connected to a goat-like mask, which matched the white armor covering her shoulders, elbows, and hands.

He was surprised to see that this girl was also capable of Ressurecting the way the Espada could. It meant that she must have been an Espada herself at one point.

Nnoitra started laughing after Nelliel summoned her lance and thrust it into the sand beside her.

"What's funny about your defeat?" the girl asked seriously.

"You think just because you were the Tres Espada a long time ago that you'll be able to defeat me. But you're mistaken if you think my power is the same as it was when you were around! Even if you were ranked above me before, that doesn't amount to anything now!"

"Oh? Then why don't you come this way?" Nelliel asked. "Surely you believe what you just told me, right? Prove your strength here and now."

With a livid expression on his face and his eye twitching, Nnoitra gripped the long pole of his sword. "You're fucking dead meat!" he shouted, and then sprinted towards the girl.

Throwing his sword forward by its long chain, he was not surprised when Nelliel dodged his attack.

"You'll have to do better than that." Nelliel said in his ear.

Nnoitra tried getting away, but he wasn't quick enough.

Nelliel jumped up onto him and used all four of her hoofed feet to send him flying through the sand. "I'm not finished yet." She said. Lifting her lance, she lamented at the thought of defeating Nnoitra this way, but she knew this was the way it had to be if she wanted to help Ichigo. "Lanzaror Verde."

When Nelliel's lance came flying after him at full speed, Nnoitra reached out and grabbed hold of it. His eyes went wide from how much it tore at the Hierro on his hand as its spiraling velocity slowed.

He successfully managed to stop it just in time before it dug into his right shoulder.

After raising her hand, Nelliel's lance flew through the sky and came to her again. And when she got it, she started running at full speed towards Nnoitra.

"Enough of this!" the raven-haired man shouted, standing up and snatching his sword up as well.

"My thoughts exactly." Nelliel said, raising her weapon over her shoulder.

Just as she was about to throw it, her body started glowing brightly. Then immediately, her Resurrección state vanished.

Tesla's eyes, Pantera's eyes, Nnoitra's eyes, and Nel's eyes were all wide when it happened.

Falling into the sand right in front of Nnoitra, the teal-haired girl got up on her knees and looked down at her hands. "No! Not now!" she said, and then felt herself growing tired.

Nnoitra's foot landed right in front of her, making her look up at him with panic in her eyes. With her Resurrección state gone, she knew her chances of actually winning this fight had dwindled significantly. That's why she was trying to end things quickly because she never had a long duration with that power, even in the beginning.

"Heheheheeh! You're finished, Nelliel!" Nnoitra shouted, then slammed his foot against the girl's jaw, sending her flying through the sky.

Tesla smirked and, instead of continuing over to Pantera, used a Sonído to reach Nel and punched her down onto the ground.

"Ugh!" the girl cried out.

"That was for letting that kid escape with Grimmjow. Nnoitra-sama clearly wanted both of them to perish here, yet you had to interfere." The beast said calmly. Lifting his hand, he made to punch her again, but something stopped him. "W-what the-"

"Man, why do I always gotta be the hero? Such a pain…" someone's deep voice said.

Nel looked up and was surprised to see a man in a uniform very similar to the one Ichigo was wearing when she first met him. He also had a sword, which he was using to halt Tesla's attack.

"What a pretty little girl."

"Who-who are you?" Nel asked.

"A captain from Seireitei kingdom. Captain of the Eleventh Division of the Court Guard Squads, Kenpachi Zaraki."

"And I'm his Lieutenant! Yachiru Kusajishi!" a little girl said, emerging from the man's white haori.

With a thrust of his wrist, Kenpachi effortlessly shook Tesla off, sending him sliding back a few feet.

"Thank you… for saving me. I thought I could end things quickly with my power, but I guess it's been a while since I last used it. And here I told Ichigo I could handle this…"

"Did you just say 'Ichigo'?" Kenpachi asked eagerly.

"Y-yeah."

"Orange hair and a perpetual scowl?" Yachiru asked, jumping down next to Nel.

"Yeah, that's about right." The teal-haired girl said, not surprised that someone else pointed out his everlasting scowl.

Grinning from ear to ear, Kenpachi expressed his excitement as he started walking towards Nnoitra. "Guess taking the desert route back to Seireitei was a good idea after all. I get to fight, and now I know where Ichigo is. Everyone's been looking for him, but I'm the one to get the first news about him!"

"Wait, what?! You're going to fight?" Nel asked, surprised that someone from Seireitei would get involved in a Los Noches battle.

"…" Kenpachi stopped in his tracks. "Guess I can't if I don't want to start a war. The old man would never let me live it down if I did."

"Just like a Court Guard. Scared to fight and useless in battle!" Nnoitra said as he approached. "Just like that wimpy ass fag who scurried off with Grimmjow."

Kenpachi turned and looked at Nnoitra. "What was that?"

"Nnoitra is the one who started this." Nel began. "He attacked Grimmjow while he was weakened, and Ichigo stepped in to stop him from killing him."

"Icchi did?" Yachiru asked.

"Mhmm."

"Did Ichigo get wounded while trying to save this Grimmjow character?" Kenpachi asked. He recalled that name as the one of the Espada who attacked Kuchiki, Abarai, and Ichigo over a month ago. It kind of puzzled him why Ichigo would save him, but he dismissed it from his mind after remembering how sympathetic the kid could be to others.

"… Yeah. These two were merciless against him. He had no Reiatsu, but they attacked him anyway."

"And I'm gonna go finish him off just as soon as I'm done with you insects!"

Raising an eyebrow, Kenpachi started heading towards Nnoitra. "Insects?" he echoed.

"Ken-chan, are you gonna fight?!" Yachiru exclaimed.

"Yeah, so stay back." The spike-haired man responded.

"I won't let you!" Tesla said, and then used a Sonído to reach Kenpachi.

"Tesla no, stay back!" Nnoitra shouted.

Tesla made to punch the Court Guard, but his fist collided with the man's jagged sword and he gasped as it cut clean through his hand.

Kenpachi turned around and cut the beast down so he would not get back up to fight again. He was intent on fighting this Espada for attacking Ichigo, and he didn't want to leave this guy free to attack him, Yachiru, or the other girl while he wasn't paying attention.

Landing on his back in the sand with a loud 'thud', Tesla let a tear escape his eye as he watched the Court Guard start heading towards his master. "I'm sorry, Master Nnoitra… I couldn't help you more than this…" he whispered.

With an irritated expression on his face, Kenpachi continued heading towards Nnoitra. "So you had the nerve to attack Kurosaki Ichigo as he protected one of your comrades? I've seen plenty of guys like you. And judging from that look in your eyes, you were probably just trying to strike down a weakened man, which he stopped you from doing."

"What of it? He serves no purpose anymore, and frankly, I was tired of him gloating about how much stronger than Ulquiorra he was! That bastard skipped over me completely, considering me to not even be on his radar! I hate it when weaklings talk big but don't back it up! So I decided to get rid of him. But you peace loving Court Guards keep getting in my way and preventing me from doing that. Didn't you bastards ever learn to mind your own damned business?!"

"You know, I could understand you raising your sword to the guy while he was in decent fighting shape…" Kenpachi began, coming to a stop a few paces away from Nnoitra. "But you chose to go the easy way out and attacked him while he was down. I can't stand cowards like that. If anything, you're the only weakling around here!"

"FUCK YOU!" Nnoitra shouted. Lifting up his sword, he charged at Kenpachi.

…

"Is that your friend?" Yachiru asked Nel.

"What?" the older girl responded, getting up on her knees and dusting herself off.

"Is that kitty over there your friend?" the pinkette asked, pointing off in the distance.

Nel looked to where Yachiru pointed and she gasped. "Oh! That animal came to help Ichigo when he was trying to save Grimmjow!"

"Hmm… You'd best take him and get out of here."

"What?"

"Take that kitty with you and go. It will get dangerous around here if you stay. Ken-chan's got that look in his eye. He's ready to go all out because of the way that Espada treats other people."

"That's something to say to me! You're younger than I am! How did you even become a Lieutenant?!" Nel said, now knowing exactly what Ichigo felt like when she told him what this girl was telling her.

Yachiru grinned. "It's a long story. And I don't really feel like telling it while Ken-chan is fighting."

Nel sighed. "I'll go see to that animal, but I can't just leave. If nothing else, I'll see to it that Nnoitra is defeated even if it costs me my life. After all, I told Ichigo I would take care of this."

"Icchi left already, huh? Did he go back to Los Noches?"

Shaking her head, Nel stood up off the ground. "No. He said he was going to Seireitei… but he was kind of wounded… so I don't know how long that trip will take him."

"Oh! Well, we'll have to get back home immediately! Definitely before Icchi does!" Yachiru said excitedly.

"Why's that?"

"We were informed that Ichigo has three days to be returned to the kingdom, or there will probably be war. We have to let the Head Captain know he's coming so we can avoid that!" Turning from the taller girl to where Kenpachi was fighting, Yachiru raised her hand to call out to her captain. "KEN-CHAN! ICHI'S GOING HOME! WE HAVE TO HURRY UP AND GET BACK!"

"Gotcha!" Zaraki said, and stepped back from Nnoitra's flying sword.

"Stop playing around, Court Guard! I don't have time for this shit if I'm gonna go finish off those rats that got away thanks to Nelliel!"

A bright gleam flashed in Kenpachi's eyes and he quickly turned from defense to offense. Sending his sword down at full speed, he successfully connected it with the Espada's arm. "I see I only managed to give you a little cut." He said, seeing that his sword had not chopped the arm off like he intended it to.

"Heheh! I won't shed blood that easily! I have the strongest Hierro of all the Espada, both past and present!"

"You can say whatever you want, but now I know I  _can_  cut you."

"I don't think so! Not after how much I strengthened my Hierro over the years!"

"Heh! Sounds like you're actually afraid of being cut down, then." Kenpachi countered.

Nnoitra squinted. "Tch! As if! I know I'm gonna die fighting, but it won't be to a worm like you, Grimmjow, or his fuck toy!"

"…Fuck toy? …You mean Ichigo?"

Grabbing Kenpachi's sword by the blade, the long-toothed man grinned and pulled him closer. "That's right. That orange-haired fucker is little more than Grimmjow's sex slave! I take it he likes it since he saved the shitbag from my sword! He's truly a pitiful excuse for a man, and I'm just itching to bury him in this desert!"

"Hey, Espada..."

"What?"

"Even if Ichigo has different tastes than what this world thinks is normal, I can't let you continue to threaten and bad mouth him." Kenpachi said gravely.

"Oh yea-"

Snatching his sword free, Kenpachi lifted it into the air and sent it through Nnoitra's eye patch.

The two of them stood there in silence for a moment, unmoving and surrounded by the sounds of the wind. Off in the distance, the two girls could be heard arguing about what the panther's name was.

"Think you got me?" Nnoitra asked, taking Kenpachi's sword into his hand again. "Think again." He said, using the tip of it to lift up his eye patch and reveal his hole.

"A hole, huh? What a lucky break." Kenpachi said with a smirk. He truly was surprised.

Blood boiling from the man's comment, Nnoitra pulled him forward by his sword and then slammed his foot into his stomach. "Let me show you just how  _un_ lucky  _you_  are for crossing paths with me!" he said.

When the Espada started glowing yellow, Kenpachi's eyes went wide.

"Pray. Santa Teresa!" Nnoitra called out, causing a shockwave of energy to whip about.

From the sand that flew up as a result of that shockwave, he did not see that Yachiru had defeated the sovereign scorpion he failed to.

"Now this is exciting!" Kenpachi said enthusiastically as he waited for Nnoitra to come out from the cloud of smoke. "I never imagined I'd get to go all out in battle right before I reached Seireitei!"

"Don't think you'll be making it home in one piece!" the Ressurected Espada declared, charging through the smoke at the Court Guard.

When two swords clashed against his own, Kenpachi was a bit surprised. "You have two swords now, I see." He said.

A wicked grin found its way to Nnoitra's face. "You did well to stop those…" From his sides, two more arms wielding swords show out, and tore into Kenpachi's sides. "But there was no way you could have seen those coming!" he said elatedly.

Looking down to his injured lower abdomen with wide eyes, Kenpachi was speechless. As his blood trickled down his leg, he realized he hadn't felt its warmth in a very long time. In fact, he almost forgot what it felt like to bleed.

"Seeing me like this… what does it make you feel, Court Guard? Are you afraid? Nervous? Wishing you never laid eyes on me?!" Nnoitra asked, overly confident in his power.

"Heh! None of the above." Kenpachi answered.

"What?"

"I'm actually… excited. I haven't felt like this in a long time!"

Snatching his four swords back, Nnoitra squinted. "You're not fooling anyone here, you bell wearing freak."

"I'm not trying to. Look." The man said, lifting his sword up in the air. "My sword is growing sharper and sharper by the minute. I think its absorbing your Reiatsu and using it to prepare itself to strike you down. And I'm gonna help it out!" He finished, pulling off his eye patch to encourage his sword to continue sharpening itself.

"…DON'T FUCK WITH ME!" the Espada roared. He quickly realized the man was delusional, and started chuckling for losing his composure the way he did. "If you feel that way, then come at me. Let's see how your one sword compares to my four!"

Without another word, Kenpachi dashed over to the man and made to attack, but two of Nnoitra's swords cut him in a vertical manner, tearing through the skin from his collarbone to his navel.

"Told you." Nnoitra said, and watched as his opponent fell to the ground.

After a few seconds of him not moving, he turned his attention to Yachiru, who was running over to Nelliel. Nelliel had a shocked expression on her face, but he dismissed that from his thoughts. He did not see that behind him was where the king scorpion was lying, defeated in the sand. And since he did not see it, he assumed the little girl would be an easy target.

Yachiru turned when she noticed the tall Espada coming her way.

"You're next, little girl." She heard him say.

"Hee hee! If you attack me, Ken-chan will get mad."

"H-Hey what are you saying?! Your boss just lost!" Nel exclaimed, pulling out her Zanpakutō and stepping in front of the smaller girl. Even if she managed to take down that scorpion, there was no way she could stand up to an Espada in their Resurrección state.

Yachiru remained silent and showed no emotion as the enemy approached.

Pantera lifted his head and was just as worried as Nel was when he saw Nnoitra getting closer to them.

But his eyes, Nel's eyes, and Nnoitra's eyes all went wide as Kenpachi suddenly appeared beside Nnoitra and blared his Reiatsu before tearing out one of his arms.

"Wha- He was down!" Nel exclaimed, with nothing short of disbelief in her voice.

"Tch!" Nnoitra jumped back and turned his full attention to Kenpachi again. "Playing dead ain't right." He said.

"Yeah, but neither is surprise limbs. I was thinking about how I could take care of them." Kenpachi replied honestly, looking down at the arm in his hand.

Effortlessly, Nnoitra regenerated the limb he'd just lost. "I'm going to rip your arms and legs off all at once using my arms to do it. I'll make sure the little girl is watching."

With a grin, Kenpachi tossed Nnoitra's dismembered arm to the sand below. "You know, I'm really having fun here!" He said.

Generating another sword, Nnoitra used a Sonído to get right in front of the Court Guard, and then started cutting away at his torso.

Kenpachi was surprised at first, not expecting such a lethal attack so suddenly, but he used his sword to start blocking the Espada's attacks. As he did, his wounds started bleeding all over his uniform bottoms. He knew that if he didn't finish this fight soon, he would probably die. "I… I'm not ready to die just yet." He said to himself, and then managed to get out of range of Nnoitra's swords.

"Don't back away, coward!" Nnoitra shouted angrily, and then started running after him.

"…" Glancing down at his sword, Kenpachi sighed and then jumped over Nnoitra's head, landing so Yachiru and the gypsy girl were behind him. The grip he had on now it would not be enough for this fight. He realized it was time to bring the fun to an end, and the best way to do that would be to use kendo. He also realized the energy he was about to send out should be facing away from his allies if he wanted to keep them alive.

He looked at Nnoitra seriously.

"Giving up?" the mantis-like man asked from over his shoulder.

"… No… I just wanted to ask you something."

"Ask away, seeing as you're about to die. I'll tell you whatever you want to know."

Kenpachi looked back down at his hand that was holding on to his sword before he continued. "Do you know what kendo is?" he asked.

"The hell kind of question is that?" Nnoitra asked in response, turning around to face him.

"I'm asking because you're wielding each of your swords with one hand. I fight the same way with my Zanpakutō, but I have kendo to fall back on should I need more striking power. Though, I hate fighting like that..."

"The hell are you talking about?" Nnoitra asked crossly.

"I mean taking your weapon up with two hands instead of just one. You seem to rely on the number of strikes you can make instead of the strength behind the strike." The sun glistened across the smooth metal blade on Kenpachi's sword as he looked up at his opponent. "And that is why you can't win."

Irately, Nnoitra tore at Kenpachi, lifting all four of his swords up at once to strike him down.

His eyes grew wide when he saw the Court Guard lifting his sword with both hands and a mass of bright yellow energy surrounding him.

Kenpachi slashed through Nnoitra's Hierro effortlessly, and watched as the man's blood spewed in the air. His resulting energy flew off in the distance, tearing through the sand dunes as it did, making him glad he turned away from Yachiru and the other two.

Yachiru remained emotionless as Nnoitra hit the ground. The wind started blowing gently, and she waited for Kenpachi to reach her.

Turning around and considering the battle his, Kenpachi started walking away from his defeated enemy.

"Agh! *huff* Where the hell do you think you're going?! Huh?!" Nnoitra shouted.

"The fight's over. You've lost." The spike-haired man responded as he continued on his way.

"Don't give me that!"

"Unlike you, I don't relish in cutting down people who are weakened and defeated."

Getting up on his feet again from just how enraged being ignored made him, Nnoitra grabbed up one of his swords and started running after Kenpachi, his wounds bleeding as he did. "This isn't over! Get back here and fight! If you don't, I'm simply going to recover and hunt you down!"

Kenpachi stopped and turned around, then waited for his opportunity. When the man's chest made itself vulnerable, he cut into it once more. Stepping back, he closed his eyes and let the Espada fall in front of him.

Near shaking from grief, Nel brought her hands up and held herself as she watched Nnoitra fall to the ground in a pool of his own blood. Tears formed in her eyes as she recalled the days when she protected him because he was weaker than she was. After making a brief eye contact with him, she had to look away to keep herself from crying like a baby. While she realized he needed to be taken down for what he tried to do to Ichigo, she hoped somewhere in her heart that maybe Nnoitra would have just left the situation alone so she wouldn't have to see this sight.  _"Nnoitra… I'm sorry it had to end this way…"_

Kenpachi stood over Nnoitra and watched as his blood stained the sand underneath his body.

"Thank you for a good fight. Now pass on in peace." He said sincerely.

Yachiru smiled and walked over to her captain. "That was some match, Ken-chan!"

"Thanks. Now what was it you said earlier?" said man asked.

"Oh! We need to get going! Now! We have to let the Head Captain know Icchi's coming home!"

"Where is he?" Kenpachi asked Nel.

The teal-haired girl wiped her eyes and shrugged her shoulders. "He took off into the desert." She answered.

Closing his eyes, Kenpachi stood still for a moment. He opened them again and then scratched his head. "Can't sense him anywhere nearby."

"Yeah… His Reiatsu was pretty much gone." Nel said.

"Well, let's go, Yachiru. We're gonna beat Ichigo to the kingdom! Whaddya say to that?!"

"Right!" The girl short smiled, and then jumped up onto Kenpachi's left shoulder. "Oh! Look at you, Ken-chan! You'll have to sit through a lecture from Re-chan when we get back!"

"I know!" the man responded. Looking down to Nel for a second, Kenpachi smiled. "Take care of yourself." He said, and then Flash Stepped away.

"Huh?! That's some exit!" the girl replied after him. She then turned to Pantera. "I guess we should go to Seireitei too. We did promise Ichigo we'd meet him there."

Pantera nodded agreeably and picked himself up off the ground, noting the pain in his side from where he had been kicked by Nnoitra.

Despite that, he started walking off after the Court Guard captain, who had left deep footprints in the sand. When he realized the girl wasn't keeping up with him, he turned around.

"I'm coming… I'm just a little exhausted is all…" Nel said, falling to her knees.

Before she hit the ground, Pantera rushed over and caught her on his back, and then lifted her up so he could carry her.

"What a nice animal you are. You're nothing at all like your master."

Pantera ignored her statement and continued to follow the footprints in the sand. He knew they would get them to Seireitei, although they wouldn't arrive there nearly as fast as that Captain would. Considering the girl's condition, and his having to carry her, they'd probably be travelling through the desert for more than just a day or two…


	21. desert oasis

Lifting his hand up to shield his eyes from the sun's intensely bright rays of light, Ichigo looked up to the vast blue sky that was filled with white, puffy clouds to make sure he still had time to travel before nightfall. From the sun's position up there, he could tell the time was between three and four o'clock.

Only a few more hours until nightfall.

"*huff* It's so… HAAAHT...! *huff*" he complained miserably, but continued climbing up an steep, golden sand dune.

When he thought about it carefully, none of the sand dunes he'd previously seen on either of his trips between Seireitei and Los Noches had been this large. But strangely enough, the ones in this area seemed very high in elevation.  _"We probably got lost a while ago because of that sandstorm…"_ he though seriously, trying not to lament over the idea.

With the hot light of the sun caressing his soft skin, he felt himself growing a little dizzy.

It wasn't long before he gave in to the heat and fell to his knees, then down on his stomach, dropping Grimmjow in the process.

He watched as the larger man slid down the sand dune a bit, and then came to a stop just a few feet below him.

"The sand is just as hot!" he said, regretting falling down onto it terribly.

After taking a few deep motivational breaths, he pushed himself up of the ground and walked over to where Grimmjow had slid to.

"I'm sorry about dropping you…" he said.

Pulling him up onto his back again, he continued up the large dune.

With his distance from the ground, he could see the sandstorm still passing a ways below him. Fortunately, he had managed to make it up high enough before the full force of it reached the area that he and Grimmjow were in. Though, even during the  _seemingly_  harmless first wave of it he had to stop and shield Grimmjow's wounds with his body. He realized doing that was futile when he considered how many times he'd dropped the man  _in_ the sand since he stopped that Espada from killing him.

"DAMN IIIIT!" the boy shouted up to the sky, feeling overheated, thirsty, and extremely exhausted.

"I thought I told you to put me down."

Ichigo's eyes widened when he heard Grimmjow's raspy voice in his ear.

"Grimmjow? I thought you had passed out a long time ago…"

"I just woke up, idiot. Why won't you fucking put me down?!" said man exclaimed, and then coughed right after he did.

Ichigo continued upwards, taking big steps in the sand with his heavy charge on his back. "Because I couldn't live with myself if I did something like that. I'd always know I was the one who left you to die out in this desert. Think about this from my point of view, will you?" He responded sincerely.

"Tch… that's a lame excuse… And don't ask me to see things from your point of view. I could never think the way a pansy like you does."

The boy rolled his auburn eyes at Grimmjow's follow-up, but dismissed him and grew excited when he finally reached the peak of the sand dune.

"WHOA! I-IS THAT A…"

Grimmjow looked over Ichigo's shoulder to see what it was he was so excited about, and his cerulean eyes grew wide from what lie hidden away in the middle of all the toweringly tall sand dunes.

"I'm not seeing things… this isn't a mirage, right?!" Ichigo continued happily.

"Idiot..." The bluenette said. "It's not a mirage."

"Hah! It's… then it's an OASIS!" the orange-haired boy shouted eagerly.

Indeed it was.

Tucked away from the rest of the desert where not many would go was this little sanctuary. The only reason Ichigo chanced upon it was because he'd been trying to avoid the sandstorm at a lower elevation than these sand dunes were.

Amazingly enough there was a large pool of blue water that shimmered in the sun's radiant light, and the source of it was a small waterfall that was surrounded by somewhat hardened rock in this oasis. There were also a few short palm trees, desert flowers, and shrubs scattered throughout the area. Noticeably, at the bottom of the narrow waterfall, there was a small rainbow.

Quickly, Ichigo started walking down the sandy slope in order to reach the pool of water below. He was so excited that he tripped, dropping Grimmjow once again, and tumbled down the sand dune with him.

They both slid into the water with large splashes, and immediately realized it was fairly deep because neither one of them hit the bottom.

Ichigo surfaced first, and then splashed himself in the face with the water to feel its cooling embrace. It felt so nice compared to the hellish heat he had to endure all this time. Traversing the vast desert, with no water or food, had been like walking through an oven that was cranked all the way up.

Cupping his hands together, he brought them up to his mouth and drank as much of the water as he could, which turned out to be surprisingly clean.

"I wish I had a bottle or something to carry some of this in…" he said regretfully.

Once he remembered that he dropped Grimmjow, he started looking around for him.

He was surprised to see the man swimming, using his one arm to do it, over to the shallow end of the water.

"Grimmjow?" he called.

"Not now, Court Guard! Leave me alone!" said man responded as he struggled against the water with his one arm and deep wounds.

Swimming over to him, Ichigo offered to help, but was shoved off.

"I'm just trying to help you! What's gotten into you all of a sudden?!"

When he reached the shallow end of the water, Grimmjow shook his thick mane of hair dry and fell forward onto the wet sand.

"Grimmjow…"

"I don't like deep water, okay?! Now get outta my face!"

Ichigo paused and took a moment to consider what he'd just been told. After getting over the initial shock of the other's confession, he started chuckling. It got so bad that he had to cover his mouth with his hand to keep it from being too obvious. "You swim around all the time in your bath tub!" He managed to say, and continued laughing.

"There's a difference! And what about this is  _funny_?!"

"Grimmjow." The boy said once he calmed himself.

Said man did not respond. Instead, he flipped over onto his back and started breathing heavy breaths of relief.

It was then that Ichigo had the chance to see the wounds Grimmjow had received earlier again.

"Hey… your… your wounds are healing!" He said, mostly astonished because the hole in his chest was almost completely gone. The large cut he got from that Espada, which was made even worse by that follower of his, seemed to be taking a longer time to close, though.

"I'm in my Resurrección state, fool. Of course my wounds will heal."

"But…"

"But what!?"

"Your arm…"

Grimmjow rolled his eyes. "That won't be coming back. I lost it while I was in my normal state, so I can't regenerate it."

"Why's that?" Ichigo asked, and swam up in front of the larger man.

"Some Arrancar can do that, but I can't. I only retained regenerative abilities  _in_  my Resurrección state. I sacrificed regeneration through Resurrecting for power."

"Well that sounds just like something you'd do…"

"Anyway, what do you care?"

"Well… I-I care a lot." The boy responded, and then moved so he was right over Grimmjow. Reaching down, he touched the spot where the hole in the man's chest was. "…It really is healing... I'm amazed something like this didn't kill you…" He observed.

"Get away from me!" the bluenette exclaimed, pushing the boy away with his arm.

Ichigo looked at him with a disappointed expression on his face. "After all this, you're still pushing me away?"

"I never asked for your help, and I don't want it either! I've got no more worth as a warrior, considering how Nnoitra almost took me down! I deserve to die here in this desert!" Grimmjow yelled.

When Ichigo jumped onto him and wrapped his arms around his neck, he opened his eyes wide.

"What are you doing?!"

"Grimm, don't talk like that! There's always something else you can do, and there will always be new reasons to live! Fighting isn't everything you are, so please... please just… don't die because of simple-minded thinking like that!" The boy said, holding on to Grimmjow tightly. Even when he felt the man's sharp nails stab him in the side, he did not release him.

"Let go!" Grimmjow hissed.

"Only if you promise you'll keep living."

"What's it to you?!"

"It's… I don't know why, but it's everything to me." Ichigo said, and reached down to take hold of the hand that was stabbing him. Pulling it away, he released Grimmjow from their forced hug, then stared down at the fur-covered hand he was holding. He then looked back and saw Grimmjow's paw-shaped feet and his tail swishing about in the shallow water. "You really  _do_  resemble a panther." He commented, recalling Pantera telling him about Grimmjow's past life.

"…"

"This water seems to be helping me heal as well… So maybe it's what's helping you recover so quickly... you know, along with your regeneration. They weren't doing this when we were being attacked by that big monster…"

Still holding on to Grimmjow's hand, Ichigo looked over to his stubbed left arm. While the oasis seemed to be doing a fair share of the work in healing his recent wounds, he knew it would not bring Grimmjow his arm back. That was something he would need to ask Inoue to do.

"Are you going to let go of my hand, Court Guard?" Grimmjow asked, making Ichigo blush.

"Oh… well… that depends. Are you going to stab me again?"

"If you back off, I won't have a reason to."

Realizing that was fair enough, Ichigo released the man's hand and moved back from him a bit.

"Grimmjow…"

"What did you mean back there when Tesla was about to kill us?"

"Huh?" Ichigo asked, raising his eyebrows.

"I heard you say 'we'll burn together' or some shit when that swine was about to blast us to smithereens. I'm asking you what you meant by that."

Blushing even deeper than before, Ichigo averted his eyes nervously. "It's… a long story. Well, it's not really long, just complicated."

"I'm not going anywhere at the moment."

"…Well… I guess I can tell you…"

"There's no guessing about it. Start talking."

"Okay…" Ichigo said, not really knowing why he was giving in to Grimmjow's orders. Taking a deep breath, he calmed himself so he could begin. There was no need to be nervous around Grimmjow, right? "Court Guards are supposed to uphold honor and keep high morals. It is something they tell us during training; the first thing, actually. And one of the things we do to ensure that we do that is… well… we have a Holy Book that we abide by. A lot of people in the kingdom follow it as well, but it is more stressed that we do than the citizens. It contains verses about how to live, how to treat others, and how to reach the Holy kingdom once we die so that we do not perish in Hell. I… I've been conflicted about myself and my standing with the Holy Being because the things you've been doing to me are a direct violation of a few verses from the book. But it's not entirely your fault because… at some point… I guess… I just gave in to you. And in doing so, I've become a sinner. Even you must know that homosexuality is considered an abomination—a crime against nature."

"I don't give a shit about that." Grimmjow said seriously. He'd become a crime against nature a long time ago, and it had nothing to do with sexuality.

"Well, I do. And… in becoming a sinner with you, there is really only one place we'll wind up when we die, and that place is Hell. It is said to be a pit of flames where we'll be confronted with our sins and tormented by them for the rest of time. And I… I said we'd 'burn together' because… well… I was thinking… that it may not have been so bad… you know, living in that kind of torture forever may have been a bit more bearable… if… you were there with me. We can be strong and endure it together." Ichigo said nervously, looking up to the blue sky to avoid seeing Grimmjow's reaction. Apparently he  _was_  capable of getting nervous around him.

"I can't believe how hard you Court Guards are drilled with that nonsense. Out here in the desert, the only thing that matters is survival." The cerulean-haired man responded. "We don't pay much attention to the afterlife. We just live for what's going on now in this life, and indulge ourselves in the temptations of this world until we can do so no more. Actually, I don't think many people out here even  _believe_  in an afterlife. Why would they want to, considering how cruel  _this_  world is?"

"Wow, that… that sounds like a terrible outlook and an even worse way to live…"

"Well yours is no better! I can tell from what you just told me that you only abide by that book because you're  _afraid_  of the  _consequences_  that would follow if you didn't. That's not belief. Even I know that."

Ichigo chanced a glance at Grimmjow, and blushed when he did. He looked so… amazingly intelligent.

And he realized that the two of them were having an  _actual_  conversation, albeit a controversial one.

Admittedly, what he just said struck him deeper than any blade ever had. He realized he believed in what he did primarily because he was afraid. And that  _wasn't_  belief.

"Looks like I hit home." Grimmjow said.

"You… you may be right… but still…"

"What?"

"I want to find the answers someday. I want to believe with all my heart in a God that would be happy that his creations were able to find love. Even if it was with someone of the same sex, you know?"

"No, I don't know. And what the hell are you implying? Are you in love with m-"

"I'm not implying anything! I never said  _I_  was in love with another man. I have a friend back home who is, and I would want him to have a pleasant afterlife even despite that. I don't think it's right to punish someone for _loving_  another person."

"A friend, huh? Of course."

"I'm serious! And anyway, what about you?! You have sex with me all the time! Even if you don't believe in it, that's still something that could eventually lead to lo-"

"Don't mistake me, Court Guard. I don't care who I'm fucking, just so long as I can assert my dominance over them. It's occasionally more satisfying to do it with another man, especially a prick like you. That's all this is. I don't know what it means to love, and I don't want to, either."

"You shouldn't say that! Love is… well… it's all we have as humans… It's the greatest thing we're capable of, and it leads to such amazing things. You should strive to achieve someone's love someday."

Grimmjow shook his head. "That's where we're different. You rely on that kind of shit to get by. I'm fine with the occasional fuck without strings attached. My true goals lie in battle."

"So what am I to you, then?"

This time it was Grimmjow who raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well, I embody your fallen men's desires, right? Surely you wanted to protect them… that, too was a kind of love… you just don't realize it."

"You're delusional... I only want to honor their sacrifices. It has nothing to do with love."

Ichigo sighed. "…I can see we'll never agree about this… But it is nice, talking to someone like this… It's been a while since I've had the chance to."

Grimmjow sat up a little and looked down at his stubbed arm disappointedly.

Ichigo caught him doing it and smiled. "You know, I know of someone who can give you your arm back." He said.

With wide eyes, the bluenette looked up at the boy. "Don't fucking joke about this! I'll rip your mouth out!"

"I'm not." Staring right into Grimmjow's bright blue eyes, Ichigo kept a look of seriousness on his face.

"You're… you're kidding… You have to be…! There's… there's no way-"

"My friend can do it. She has the power to reject entire events and restore things to the way they were before those events changed them. She's even gotten to the point where she doesn't even need to know  _what_ happened to be able to reject it. That power of hers what's kept me alive for so long. If it wasn't for her, I probably never would have met you because I'd be dead."

Grimmjow gave in for a moment to the thought of getting his arm back. "Let's say you  _could_  get me my arm back. What's in it for you? Why should  _I_  trust  _you_?"

"There's nothing in it for me, really. But I hate seeing you so miserable. I care about you, you know… So you'll just have to take a chance with me, like I did with you." Ichigo said with a smile.

"…Fine. I'll go along with you. But know this: my ultimate goal is to become king of Los Noches. If you get in my way or do anything to jeopardize that, I'll cut you down and end your pathetic existence, got it Court Guard? Your fate will be sealed if this turns out to be a trap."

"I'm going to stop you right there, Grimmjow. If I'm going to help you, you're going to have to address me with more respect than that."

"Oh yeah?"

"That's right. My name is Kurosaki, Ichigo. All I ask is that you call me by my name, instead of referring to me like we'll never be able to understand each other. I don't walk around calling you 'Espada' or 'Arrancar' all day."

"Whatever."

"No, it's not  _whatever_. Say it. Say my name, Grimmjow."

Grimmjow closed his eyes and frowned up childishly. "Ku…ro…sa…ki." He said, pronouncing the syllables irritatedly.

"Good." The boy smiled again. While Grimmjow had his eyes closed, he took note of his Resurrected state even more closely. The things that stood out, still, were his mask and hole. The mask had lost its jaw-like shape and moved so that it covered his forehead. On the other hand, that hole was still in the same place as it had been before.

Reaching out, he slowly put his hand inside the hole, only to feel a strange weight on his hand. It felt like cool water, but there was no actual water there.

When Grimmjow grabbed his hand, he looked him in the face.

"What?" he whispered softly.

"Keep your hands out of there." The man said seriously, keeping his eyes closed as he did.

Ichigo blushed and decided to let his opinion be known. "Grimmjow, you're really cute in this form."

Said man's eyes shot open and he looked down at the boy. "What?!" he asked.

"I said you look really cute. You've got those really long, furry ears, and your hair is long, too. Plus your teeth are sharp and you have that tiny bit of fur around your eyes. You kind of look like a cat or something." The boy admitted, and smiled when he saw Grimmjow's cheeks turn pink.

"Keep your stupid comments to yourself."

"Grimmjow…"

"I just said-"

Moving forward, Ichigo gently pressed his lips against the man's, interrupting him from speaking any more.

He made sure to take hold of Grimmjow's hand so he couldn't stab him with it again.

Closing his eyes slowly, the boy remained in place, enjoying the blissful ecstasy he usually felt from kissing his now former captor.

Even though he was getting no response from Grimmjow, he felt content. Just being with him like this was more than enough satisfaction for him for now. And it helped him realize he really  _did_  want to be with the man longer. Which is why somewhere in his heart, he started hoping they wouldn't just split up once they reached Seireitei and got his arm healed.

Pulling away slowly, he smiled at Grimmjow, who rolled his cerulean eyes in response.

"Why do you always do that? Let go of my hand before I choke you out with my tail." The armor-covered man said with an aggravated look on his face.

"Sorry… You're just… so kissable, Grimmjow. Stop pushing yourself away from people. You might just be able find happiness in something other than fighting."

"In your dreams."

"So, uh… I'm curious… why do you have a hole and skeletal mask?" Ichigo asked, moving his hand up to touch the bone-like mask on the other's forehead.

"That's none of your concern." The bluenette responded, and brushed the boy's hand off.

"… I guess not. You're the one who has to deal with it. I was just curious is all. It's not exactly normal."

"Fuck normal. And fuck this. I'm done lying around doing nothing. We should get on the move before the sun sets, or we're going to be scorpion food. I'm sure we're not the only creatures to have discovered this place." Grimmjow said, and then stood up as best he could. He was a little wobbly on his feet, and ended up falling forward onto his hand. It wasn't enough to support him, so he ended up belly down against the wet sand.

Ichigo got out of the water and helped Grimmjow sit up. "Your wounds are doing better." He said, and then looked down to where the man had stabbed him with his sharp nails. "Mine are too. My rib cage feels a lot better now. Maybe this oasis is special."

"The only special thing around here is you, Court-" Ichigo's eyebrows furrowed, stopping Grimmjow for a moment. "Kurosaki. Shit! You took the sting out of my comment by making me say your name."

"Well I'm glad for that." The boy said, before he pulled Grimmjow up onto his back piggyback style again.

"I can't stand you, you know that?"

"I know." Ichigo said with a smile that Grimmjow did not catch since he was behind him on his back. "Keep quiet while I climb these sand dunes. I don't have much energy, so I can't be distracted by your incessant criticisms and complaints."

"…Whatever." The larger man said, closing his eyes.

He could feel each step Kurosaki took as he climbed the steep hill of sand. With his unarmored chest pressed against the boy's back, he also felt his heart beating at a constant rate. It lulled him a bit, and he grew a little tired.

"Hey, Grimm."

"What?"

"I've been meaning to ask you… how old are you?" Ichigo asked, trying to make small talk. The complete silence as he climbed was not as pleasant as he expected it to be.

"Thought you didn't want me talking."

"I take it back. For now."

"I'm twenty-six."

"Really?"

"Yes. Why?" Grimmjow asked, growing sleepier and sleepier.

"No reason. But I didn't realize you were six years older than me. I guess you do look about that age."

"Yeah…"

"We're almost at the top."

"Mhmm…"

"Gr-Grimmjow?"

"…"

"Ah! Did you fall asleep?!"

"…"

"… Ugh… great… Now I have to listen to the nothingness of the desert while I look for a place for us to sleep tonight. I at least would rather hear you than hear nothing at all…" Ichigo said, whispering the last part.

When he felt something wrap around his waist, he immediately thought it was a snake and looked down.

To his surprise, it was Grimmjow's tail.

He had wrapped it around his waist twice.

The boy felt his cheeks growing increasingly warm, but he couldn't tell if it was from the hot desert sun beaming down on him, or if it was because of the tail wrapped trustingly around his waist.

* * *

"Tousen, just where are you going?" Gin asked, coming into the main hall of Los Noches palace.

"I'm going to take care of that pest Grimmjow, and then I'm going to do something about the Court Guard boy. They're both at fault for the loss of one of the Espada, so I only see it fit to punish them."

Gin grinned and leaned against one of the large stone columns lining the walls. "Did you not see the battle? It was Nnoitra who brought his own downfall upon himself. I agree, taking Grimmjow out seemed like a good idea, but he failed to do it. And what about Zaraki-taichou?  _He_  was the one who actually killed Nnoitra? Shouldn't he be the person you target?"

"…I don't want to start a war with Seireitei."

"If you find the Kurosaki boy and kill him, I'm sure that would do the trick."

"No one will know since he is out in the desert. He'll wind up as food for the beasts out there once I take care of him. The captains in Seireitei will be none the wiser."

"Okay, so what about Grimmjow?"

"He's on my target list as well, if you didn't just hear me."

"Did Aizen-taichou not tell you to leave him alone? And did he also not say to stay out of the Espada's affairs? This may be exactly what he wanted to happen, you know. If you kill Grimmjow, or the boy, you may end up throwing a wrench into his plans."

"…" Tousen stood in place, holding on to his sword with a tight grip. He really did want to eradicate Grimmjow, but Ichimaru had a point. If he did something, even when Aizen had told him not to, it could very well have a longer lasting effect than what he would intend for it to. "Why are you being so obedient, Ichimaru? You're not the type to heed Aizen-sama's orders so dutifully." The man stated, turning to him even though he could not see him.

"Because I'm interested."

"You're 'interested'?" Tousen echoed.

"That's right. What purpose do Grimmjow and the Kurosaki boy serve to Aizen-taichou's plan? Why is he so insistent on keeping them alive when all they've done is cause havoc between Los Noches and Seireitei, putting his own welfare on the line in the process? Are they doing what he wants by leaving this place? Judging from his withstanding patience with them and the mess they've been making of things, I'd say they're both obviously key components in his plot to take this land from the High King, but I want to see just what he plans to do with them. So that's why I'm being so obedient. Only because he's managed to perk my curiosity with his secret plan."

"Why does that not surprise me?" the blind man asked sarcastically, then started walking back the way he came.

"Wait, I didn't say you couldn't kill Nelliel. She and Grimmjow's spirit animal will probably prove problematic if they're not dealt with now. If you hurry, you can catch up to them."

"I'm not interested in those two. What could they possibly do to ruin Aizen-sama's plans, anyway?"

"Oh, that's no fun! You only wanted to kill Grimmjow because he gets under your skin." Gin accused, and then caught up with the other man.

"That is not entirely true, but I will allow you to believe it."

"Well, in any case, we'll see how this unfolds eventually… I wonder if those kiddies will survive out in the desert…"

"Don't be ridiculous. If Grimmjow was good for anything, it was dragging bloody animal corpses into the palace like an untrained cat. He'll be fine out there surrounded by prey like the animal he is. The real question is how long will he be able to sneak around in Seireitei for?"

"How do you know that's where they're going?"

"Think before you speak, Ichimaru. Where else would Kurosaki Ichigo take Grimmjow?"

"Oh, you think he's going to take him to that princess?!"

"It seems likely. That's the best way to get him healed, don't you think? That ability of hers is indeed a divine one."

"Wouldn't you be mad about that? I mean, don't you want Grimmjow to die?"

"I get the feeling his time will come soon enough. It doesn't matter how healed he gets." Tousen said, and then started walking a little faster to get away from Gin.

"Hey! Stop being such a loner!" Gin's voice echoed as he hurried down the halls after his comrade.

* * *

With the moon shining high in the sky above him and a cold breeze blowing against him, Ichigo kept telling himself to persevere.

If he didn't, he would end up being eaten alive by some of the large coyotes he'd seen running off in the distance a while ago.

Up ahead was a multi-platform plateau, and he decided that would be where he and Grimmjow would sleep for the night. While he slept, he would be able to regenerate most of his Reiatsu, which would help him get back on track to Seireitei.

All he had to do was reach the plateau.

"Court Guard." He heard in his ear.

"What did we talk about, Grimmjow?"

"Tsk… Kurosaki."

"Yeah? What is it?"

"You'd better pick up the pace. There's a scorpion tailing you a ways back."

Ichigo turned around quickly and jumped when he saw that there was indeed a large scorpion following him. In the moonlight, the only thing he could make out was the crimson glow of its eyes. The rest of it was silhouetted, making it seem all the more eerie. As if being huge wasn't already bad enough.

"Shit! That's just my luck!" he cursed, and then started walking faster.

Grimmjow remained silent as the boy carried him over to the plateau, but when he stopped, he grew curious as to why he had when they were about to be lunch meat... or dinner, which seemed like the more appropriate label. "The hell did you stop for? Got a death wish?"

"If I try climbing with you on my back, we're as good as dead. So I'm about to use some of the Reiatsu I've been able to regenerate to jump up to the top of this plateau. The scorpion won't be able to reach us up there."

"Well you'd better hurrrryyyy. It's getting clooseer."

"I know! Stop making the situation worse!"

"It's picking up the paaace..." Grimmjow said.

"Shut up!"

"It's almost heeerre…"

"Grimm-"

"Jump you pussy!"

Ichigo quickly knelt down, nearly falling forward because of Grimmjow's heavy weight on him, and then shot high into the air.

He successfully landed on the top platform of the plateau, and then tossed Grimmjow off of him angrily. "YOU ARE AN ASSHOLE!" he shouted.

"Kehehehahahaha! You were so  _scared_!" the man bellowed as he laughed hysterically.

Ichigo walked past him and looked over the side. On the ground below, the scorpion was waiting, looking up at him with its piercing eyes and snapping its pincers.

"I won't be able to sleep comfortably with that thing down there… The way it moves is so creepy…" he said, looking a little disturbed by it.

Grimmjow stood up and walked over to Ichigo, then leaned on him for support. "Are you hungry?" he asked.

"Well… yeah… very… Why-"

The man aimed the palm of his hand down at the beast, then fired a Cero through its thick shell. "That's why."

…

"… I would prefer this to have been roasted over a fire…" Ichigo said disappointedly, holding a piece of scorpion meat in his hand.

"Well we don't have any firewood, so get over it. Just be glad you're eating something. I didn't have to share with you."

" _I'm_  the one who went down to get it!"

"But  _I_  killed it."

"Ugh!" After giving up and rolling his eyes, the orange-haired boy remembered something important. "Grimmjow!"

"What?" said man asked, aggressively ripping a piece of meat off the scorpion's claw with his teeth after he did.

"What about Pantera and Nel?!"

"What do you mean 'what about them'?"

"Do you think they'll make it to Seireitei? I mean… You killed this scorpion… but what about them? I don't take it either one of them can hunt…"

"Tsk. Pantera is a master at hunting, so they'll be fine. Stop worrying about every little thing."

"Their survival is not  _little_! It's a very BIG thing!"

"Just like what you take up the ass, huh?"

Ichigo grew so red in the face he had to turn away. "You really are a jerk…"

"Well, consider yourself lucky for now. I can't fuck in this state." Grimmjow said, tossing the now meatless scorpion arm over the edge of the plateau and knocking against the armor covering his groin with his hand.

Ichigo turned back to Grimmjow. "Do you… do you still have a pe-"

"Of course I do, you dipshit! It's just covered up so it won't take any harm!"

"Oh…" the boy sat quiet for a moment, then decided to ask a question. "Grimmjow, you have reproductive organs, and you seem mostly human, so could you produce offspring if you wanted to?"

"Why are you asking me something like that? Do I look like I want a fucking kid?"

Looking down at the ground, Ichigo blushed. "I don't know. I was just curious…"

"Well don't be." The bluenette said, and then laid down on his back.

When the boy got up and came to sit down closer to him, he looked over at him questionably.

"Are you cold?" Ichigo asked.

"No. With my Hierro, I have a higher resistance to extreme temperatures. So unlike you, I'm doing just fine." Grimmjow responded, and then closed his eyes.

Ichigo laid down on his side and brought his knees up to his chest, then wrapped his arms around them in an effort to keep himself warm. This was definitely not how he was used to sleeping. Closing his eyes tight, he realized he probably wouldn't be getting any quality sleep tonight.

Opening his eyes and taking a glance up, he was reminded of just how star-filled the night sky was out in the desert, which made him smile a little. Though, the night sky seemed like the only pleasant thing the environment had to offer…

The sound of motion behind him caught his attention, and he wondered what Grimmjow was doing.

An arm unexpectedly came from behind and wrapped around him, then pulled him back. He turned to look over his shoulder at the man holding on to him. "What are you doing?" he asked, gazing into Grimmjow's cerulean eyes that were slightly glowing in the darkness of the night.

"Keeping you warm so you don't die, pansy. I need you if I'm gonna get my arm back, right?" the man answered, before wrapping his tail around Ichigo's waist and burying his nose into the nape of the boy's neck.

"R-right…" Ichigo said, feeling his body warming up and his penis growing stiff.

"Don't make any sudden movements or you'll probably be cut by the blades on my arm and legs."

"Okay."

Even though Ichigo didn't really want to admit it, being close with Grimmjow like this made him kind of happy.

After a while of lying in place, he heard Grimmjow start mumbling unintelligible things behind him, which let him know the man was asleep.

Looking up to the moon and hundreds of stars embellishing the sky, the boy found himself thinking about what everyone had been asking him or implying lately. He wasn't entirely sure if it was untrue, either.

What  _did_  he feel for Grimmjow?

They hadn't really known each other that long, nor had they gotten along for most of the time they did. Attractiveness was nice, but it would be a terrible idea to form feelings for someone based on their appearances alone.

Still, the cerulean-haired man holding onto him was quite a sight. In his normal state, he had quite a nice complexion. Very tan skin. Bright blue eyes. Tall. Well built. He just had so much going for him. Even in this transformed state, he was still handsome. And something about his animal-like physique was even more interesting, especially those long ears.

" _Although they're not everything,_   _I can't pretend that looks don't mean anything at all…"_

His thoughts moved from Grimmjow's physical features to his personality. Other than being extremely pugnacious, he seemed otherwise uninterested in people. But perhaps there was a reason for that…

Remembering his words in the courtyard two nights ago, he decided that maybe his personality wasn't such an issue. After all, he did say he would change him someday.

Well, a better way of putting it would be 'opening him up'. It sounded more beautiful that way.

Finally, Ichigo thought about their current situation. It had torn him apart when he saw Grimmjow being tortured the way he had been by that Espada's follower, despite how much he  _thought_  he despised him. And the thought of them splitting up when he got Inoue to heal his arm made him feel a bit unhappy as well. Even though he hated to admit it, Grimmjow had become a big part of his life in the short time they'd known each other. It was too soon for them to part ways.

With their closeness at the moment… he couldn't help but feel a warm tingle in his lower gut.

" _Grimmjow… I think… I think I…"_

For as much 'thinking' as he did about the subject, Ichigo eventually fell asleep with a smile on his face.


	22. spotlight

The next day just before noon.

"RUKIAAAAAAAAAA!" Renji shouted exuberantly as he tore through the breezeways of the Thirteenth Division.

To anyone who saw him running by, they would probably say he looked utterly ridiculous with that gigantic smile and excited look plastered on his face.

In his office, Captain Ukitake heard the lieutenant coming about two minutes before he even arrived. "Abarai-kun?" he said.

"Don't worry, Taicho! I will take care of Abarai-fukutaicho!" Sentarō, who held the third seat of the Thirteenth Division, said confidently, coming into the office and bowing to his captain.

"Like I'll allow you to do that!" Kiyone, a petite girl who shared the third seat with Sentarō, said as she ran into the office.

"It's not about what  _you'll_  let me do!"

"Oh yeah?! Well we'll see who gets to Abarai-fukutaicho first!"

Ukitake sweat dropped at his subordinates. "Eh… now, now… you two don't need to-"

"The captain wants  _me_  to do it!" Sentarō exclaimed, before dashing to the door.

He was so hasty that he ran right into Renji, causing them both to fall back onto their rear ends.

"Agh! Watch where you're going, Sentarō!" Renji shouted as he rubbed his aching forehead soothingly.

"That's my line!" said man retorted.

Kiyone started giggling and pointed at Sentarō. "Serves you right for trying to steal my thunder." She said.

"You stay out of this-"

"OH! While you sit there and argue with Abarai-fukutaicho, I'm going to go get the captain some tea! Please excuse me, Ukitake-taicho!" the tiny girl said, and then hurried out of the office.

"Hey! We agreed to do rock-paper-scissors for that!" Sentarō shouted as he jumped up and ran after Kiyone.

Renji, now a little confused and still feeling a pain in his head from where he collided with Sentarō, stood up and dusted himself off.

"What did you need, Abarai-fukutaichou?" Ukitake asked with a smile. "You seemed to be looking for Rukia, right?"

"Oh, yes! Is she here today?!" the redhead asked.

The white-haired man shook his head. "No, she has the next few days off actually. I'm surprised you didn't know…"

"All right! Thanks, Ukitake-taicho! And don't spend too much time in the sun!" Renji said. With a respectful bow, he dashed out of the office and headed towards the Kuchiki mansion.

…

"RUKIAAAAA!"

Said girl lowered her wooden training sword and turned around. "Renji?" she said, standing still in the garden of her mansion to make sure she wasn't hearing things.

Renji ran down the halls of the Kuchiki house excitedly as he continued looking for his companion, then came to a stop when he saw her in the garden.

"Rukia!"

"Renji? What are you doing here? *Gasp* Are you shirking your duties?! Nii-sama would be very-"

"No, no! Kuchiki-taicho let me come find you to tell you the big news!"

"News? What news?"

Stepping out into the open garden, Renji took a seat in the grass and flashed a bright smile. "Zaraki-taicho got back a few hours ago!"

"So what? All of the captains have been returning. Well, except for Soi-Fon-taicho… She did just leave two days ago…"

"I know, but he said that he ran into someone who saved Ichigo from an Espada!"

Rukia's violet eyes went wide. "What?!"

"It's fine! It's fine! Ichigo is apparently on his way home right now!"

"I'm really glad to hear that… but… was he  _really_  attacked by an Espada…? Are they  _trying_  to start something with this kingdom…?" the girl replied, and then took a seat in the grass in front of the redhead.

"Well, the Espada who attacked him is dead now. Zaraki-taicho took care of him because he threatened to find Ichigo and kill him."

"Really?! Was it… was it that one who invaded and took Ichigo a few days ago?"

Renji folded his arms and closed his eyes. "That I don't know. I couldn't get too many details about it because I was just passing when I heard all of this. All I  _do_  know is that Ichigo is safe."

"Hmm… For now, I guess we can just be glad that he's coming home." The raven-haired girl said, putting all of the Espada out if her mind so she could do just that.

"Yeah. I wonder when he'll get here…" Looking up to the sky, Renji smiled. Ichigo sure was a lucky guy to survive so many Espada attacks and continuously come home to talk about it.

"So… I'm still the one to tell him, right?" Rukia asked.

"Yeah. You know I'm not as sensitive about that kind of thing. I'd probably end up saying it in the middle of a joke or something."

Rukia smiled and shook her head. "That's true… Don't worry, I'm fully capable of doing it."

* * *

"Hey, Grimmjow?" Ichigo called over his shoulder to the man on his back as he Flash Stepped across the desert sands.

"What?"

"Are you feeling any better? How's that wound doing?"

"It's still healing. That bastard Tesla severed the muscles on the left side of my chest when he cut into it, so it's taking a while."

"A while" was an understatement. It had been a whole day now since they'd reached that oasis.

After resting and then waking up the next morning, Ichigo picked Grimmjow up on his back again and continued on his way to Seireitei. Luckily for him, his Reiatsu had mostly returned, so he found his way back to the road that would lead him home with ease.

Surprisingly enough, when he'd fled from Nel and Nnoitra's battle, he had gone in a northwestern direction, which was how he reached that oasis. To get back on track, all he did was headed south and found the road again.

Moving through the desert was a whole lot easier while Flash Stepping. And it certainly wasn't as hot now thanks to all the wind whipping past him. Interestingly enough, Grimmjow's tail was wrapped around his waist again. This time, he seemed to have consciously done it to keep it from blowing in the wind as they traveled.

With his enhanced speed, Ichigo surmised he would reach Seireitei by nightfall. That was perfect because he didn't really want anyone to see him carrying an armor-covered Arrancar on his back.

And he was correct in his prediction.

Just as the sky darkened, with a faint, warm glow on the horizon that made the land seem darker than usual, he came into the grasslands that surrounded his kingdom.

It was then that he stopped for a moment.

"What are you doing?" Grimmjow asked.

"I'm trying to remember something. Please keep quiet." Ichigo responded, and then closed his eyes.

He was no fool. It was obvious that Grimmjow was wanted in Seireitei after what he and his men had done. He also knew he couldn't just walk through the front gates with him on his back. That was the surest way to get him caught. So he was trying to recall… something he'd long since forgotten. A secret entrance in the wall that Urahara used when traveling so he wouldn't have to let the old man know when he was leaving.

Grimmjow's eyes went wide when Ichigo abandoned the road and started running through the grass parallel to the kingdom gates a few yards away from them.

"What the hell are you-"

"Please. I asked you to keep quiet, Grimmjow. We need to move quickly or the tower guards will see us." The boy interrupted.

He was somewhat thankful that the grass was a bit taller than usual because that made it harder for them to be detected.

When he reached the secret entrance, marked by a slightly darker brick than the others, he came to a stop and smiled. He honestly thought he would've been caught.

Putting his hand on the brick, he applied some Reiatsu to it and pushed it in.

Grimmjow watched as some of the bricks in the wall started turning to reveal a short tunnel that led into the kingdom.

Ichigo turned and looked over his shoulder. "In case you're wondering, this passage only works for certain people. You couldn't sneak inside on your own if you tried."

"Tch, whatever."

Turning back to the dark tunnel, Ichigo started walking through it. _"I'll need to suppress my Reiatsu so no one inside will be able to detect me… at least… until I reach Inoue's place."_ He thought cautiously. At least then, he could hide Grimmjow if anyone showed up.

Just before he walked out of the tunnel, he squinted and ran up beside the wall to his left. Leaning against it, he stuck his head out of the tunnel and looked to his left. There was no one in sight for as far as he could see on the backstreet. Then he turned his head to the right and found it to be just as empty as the left.

" _I hope Inoue is awake."_  He thought as he warily crept out of the tunnel.

Grimmjow adjusted his ears when he heard something. It sounded like… a small group of people approaching…

The instant Ichigo was fully out in the street, a near blindingly bright light shined down on him.

Freezing on the spot, he raised his hand over his eyes and looked up to see that the light was coming from the top of one of the watchtowers on the kingdom gate.

Looking back down, he sweated a bit from nervousness. "What's going on?" he asked quietly, squinting as his eyes adjusted to the brightness of the light.

"Ichigo." A familiar voice called.

Said boy turned his attention up to the rooftops. "Y-you all…" he said disbelievingly.

"It's about time you got here." Kenpachi said, sitting atop a building with his fist against his cheek and wearing a bored expression on his face.

"We thought you'd get here around this time!" Yachiru said, coming out from Kenpachi's haori.

Along with those two, captain Hitsugaya and his lieutenant Rangiku, and captains Kurotsuchi and Unohana were all staring down at Ichigo as he stood under the spotlight.

"And you even brought that Espada who caused such an uproar between the kingdoms." Hitsugaya said.

"Oh my, is he human?" Rangiku asked as she observed Grimmjow's Ressurrected state. "Doesn't look like it…"

"That's what I'm going to find out!" Kurotsuchi said eagerly, and then jumped off of the rooftop, landing a few feet in front of Ichigo. "Forced to come out here myself to get my own specimen because Nemu can't do ten things at once and because everyone else claimed it was 'time to go home.' I swear good help is hard to find these days!" He complained as he dusted himself off.

Nervously, the orange-haired boy took a step back when the scientist approached him. He gripped the underside of Grimmjow's armored thighs and felt himself growing hot from anxiety. "What are you all doing here?" he asked, trying to prolong what he already knew was coming.

Kurotsuchi stopped in his tracks and gave an almost blank look. "Why… we came to welcome you home, of course!"

"He wouldn't believe that coming from you for a second and you know it!" Rangiku said, and then jumped down to the ground in front of Kurotsuchi. "Ichigo,  _we_  have been worried about you. Kurotsuchi-taicho only wants to take that Espada-"

"Keep your nose out of this!" the black-and-white-skinned man interrupted and pointed at the woman agitatedly, before turning back to Ichigo.

"How did you all know I was back? No… you were expecting me so that's the wrong question to ask. How did you all know where I was coming in from?" the boy continued, buying more useless time.

"That creature on your back is emitting a massive Reiatsu. Don't tell me you're slower than that Ishida friend of yours." Kurotsuchi answered.

Ichigo's eyes went wide when those words reached his ears. He should have gotten Grimmjow to completely suppress his Reiatsu when they got near the kingdom! How could he have been so careless?! It was like telling everyone that he had arrived with public enemy number one!

Growing very irritated with the back and forth going on on the ground below, Kenpachi jumped over everyone's heads with his lieutenant on his back. After he hit the ground, he scratched his head. "Ichigo, regardless of what you're feeling right now, you need to hand over that Espada to-"

"He's not an Espada anymore, Ken-chan." Yachiru interrupted.

"Oh, that's right. Well, you need to hand over this big guy so we can deal with him." The spike-haired man said seriously.

Grimmjow realized the moment they had been spotted that he would have to fight. It only grew more obvious with each thing that was said. The deal between him and Kurosaki was obviously off,  _if_  it had ever  _really_  been on in the first place.

Thinking fast, he lifted his arm and slammed his elbow against the back of Ichigo's head, successfully loosening the grip on him and thus freeing himself.

Everyone on the ground was surprised by this and quickly drew their swords.

Growling low in his throat at the people surrounding him, Grimmjow looked at Ichigo, who turned around to face him with his hand on the back of his head.

"Grimm-!"

"I'LL TAKE YOU ALL ON!" the bluenette exclaimed, and then flashed his sharp teeth viciously.

As soon as he got ready to attack, his armor started glowing light blue all over and his eyes grew wide.

When Grimmjow's armor fled and then formed his sword, returning him to his normal state, Ichigo grimaced and made to go over to him. However, he was stopped by Rangiku, who grabbed him in a bear hug from behind.

"What are you doing, Rangiku?!" he shouted.

The icy-eyed woman held Ichigo in place as she observed Grimmjow's normal state. "Much more attractive." She said, disregarding the boy who was effortlessly trying to get out of her grasp.

The moment Grimmjow took the hilt of his sword into his hand, Kenpachi rushed him, punching him in the back of the head, which sent him flying face first onto the ground.

Yachiru jumped off of the large man's shoulder and landed on Grimmjow's back. "Sorry, I know it's hard to part like this, but we have to confiscate your Zanpakutō." She said, then reached down and picked up the sword.

Kenpachi walked over and lifted Grimmjow up by his arm.

"Grimmjow!" Ichigo called, still struggling to get free from Rangiku's hug.

"Are you gonna come with us nice and easy, or will you make this hard on yourself?" Kenpachi asked, pulling the Arrancar in his grasp closer.

Grimmjow breathed in and out heavily for a moment, then slammed his forehead against Kenpachi's. His cerulean eyes widened when it didn't work. But not only did it not work, the eye patch wearing brute was grinning as blood trickled down his nose.

"Ken-chan…" Yachiru said.

Ichigo watched helplessly as Kenpachi returned the headbutt, causing Grimmjow's entire body to flinch before he went completely limp. "Grimmjow…" he muttered, nearly shedding a tear for the man.

"Oh, he's so tough!" Rangiku admitted when she saw that the Arrancar had not lost consciousness. "A headbutt from Zaraki-taicho is rumored to be as strong as a freight train. Most people wake up nothing short of a week after it happens."

"Enough babbling. Shall we bring him in?" Hitsugaya asked, jumping to the ground with his arms folded. He was not in the mood to be here any longer than he had to be. There was a significant amount of paperwork to be done since Rangiku had somehow "missed" a few boxes of files that were left by her door.

"Be more delicate with him!" Kurotsuchi objected as Kenpachi lifted Grimmjow off his feet by his neck to put a Reiatsu restraining charm on his chest.

He hurried over and started poking and prodding at his hole and body.

"Oh my. Such sturdiness! Such resilience! What a mystery you are, dear boy! And a former Espada at that! I'll even experiment on your bones when you die! You'll be one of my greatest subjects! Consider it an honor!" the scientist eagerly exclaimed as he observed Grimmjow's body closer.

"There won't be much research you can do with him in a while." Kenpachi commented. Looking Grimmjow in the eyes, he smirked. "Guess you're not as lucky as I thought. If you had stayed away from this place, you would have probably survived. Heck, if you hadn't attacked us a few days ago, we probably would have let you walk in through the front gates and treated your wounds! But your luck has run out, unfortunately. I was rooting for you when I heard Ichigo saved you."

"Ken-chan's really not a bad guy!" Yachiru said, still holding on to Grimmjow's Zanpakutō. "We were really hoping you'd survive! But you made the mistake to attack us, so we can't do anything but turn you in now."

When Grimmjow's bright eyes flashed down to the little girl holding his weapon, Kenpachi shook his head. "Don't even think about it. You hurt one pink hair on her head and I'll end you right here."

"Then get the child out of the way!" Kurotsuchi shouted, not too pleased at the thought of losing a valuable research experiment.

"We're taking him to the dungeons, right?" Kenpachi asked.

"Mhmm!" Yachiru replied, and then started walking off towards Seireitei headquarters.

As Grimmjow was carried off with Kenpachi, Yachiru, and Kurotsuchi, Ichigo closed his eyes and a pained expression found its way to his face.

"Sorry about restraining you." Rangiku said. "But if you had interfered with us detaining him, we would have had to put you in jail as well. You should go home and forget about that man. Your sisters and father are there waiting for you."

Unohana jumped to the ground and smiled at Rangiku. "Matsumoto-fukutaicho, you can release Kurosaki-san now. I will see to his wounds, if any."

"Sure." Rangiku immediately released Ichigo, not wanting to be intimidated by Unohana's infamous insistent face and tone, causing the boy to fall to his knees in between the two women.

"Let's get back to the office, Matsumoto. We've got a lot of paperwork to do." Hitsugaya said, and then turned around to follow after Kenpachi.

"UGH, I thought you said I could go home after this!" the honey-blonde complained as she did the same.

Unohana stood over Ichigo and watched as he balled his hands up into fists. She couldn't see his face because he was bent forward, but she imagined he was pained at the thought of losing that Arrancar… which didn't exactly make sense to her until she thought of the reason why…

"Kurosaki-san? Are you injured?"

Ichigo did not respond.

"Let me rephrase that. Are you injured anywhere that my Kido can heal?" the raven-haired woman asked.

"…No… I'm… I don't think you need to trouble yourself with healing me, Unohana-san."

"Kurosaki-san, I suggest you go home and get some rest. Go see your family, I'm sure they're eagerly awaiting your return. And please…"

The orange-haired boy slowly looked up to Unohana, whose front was completely shadowed by the spotlight above her. It made her seem like a completely different person, far more intimidating than usual.

"Please do not do anything that will result in your death when you depart..." Without another word, Unohana started walking, leaving Ichigo to ponder what she just told him. Chancing a glance over her shoulder when she got a few feet away, she saw that the boy was hunched over again and surrounded by the light shining from the tower above. "I've seen that look before… I know it means, and I know it can make you do foolish things and take chances you normally never would." She said under her breath, before continuing on her way back to Seireitei headquarters.


	23. captain yamamoto's decision!

Waking up the next morning to his room at home, which was denied the light of day because of the thick curtains covering his window, Ichigo could do nothing but sulk in bed.

The reason for that was because everything was going wrong.

And 'everything' meant  _everything_.

The fact that there was an ever-growing feeling of unrest and distrust rising between Seireitei and Los Noches was definitely one of the things that were troubling to him. Though that was something he guessed even before he'd come back home. But that was simply one of the reasons he was in such a depressed mood.

Another reason he was upset was because Nel and Pantera had yet to show up like they promised… Though, he hadn't expected to see them the very moment he entered Seireitei, so he tried to at least stay positive and started hoping they would show up within the next few days.

Of course, he was upset about last night when Grimmjow was taken from him by Captains Kenpachi and Kurotsuchi. Yachiru had said they were taking him to the dungeons, which were just beneath the main courthouse towards the center of the kingdom.

Who knew what they were doing to him down there…? Especially Captain Kurotsuchi, who treated him like nothing more than a lab rat…

But Grimmjow was  _not_  some research subject, and the thought of him being treated as one made the boy grit his teeth discontentedly.

And just what would the higher-ups do with him anyway? The captains having taken him into custody meant his fate would be decided… probably today.

" _Grimmjow… what are you thinking right now?"_  he wondered. That look he had on his face as he was carried off by Kenpachi was just… so full of confusion and frustration. If that look was what he was going by, then it couldn't have been anything pleasant.

"I should have stopped them. I should have said something. But… Why didn't I? …Why  _couldn't_  I?!"

It was definitely strange.

Ichigo was not one to go along with the others' opinions just because they were higher in rank than he was. But… perhaps it went deeper than just rank. Maybe he'd remained fairly silent in Rangiku's hold because he didn't want to betray his home by defending an enemy. His friends and family were here... Wouldn't defending Grimmjow, someone who almost proudly showed his lack of care for Seireitei, be the same betraying all of them?

A better question he thought of was what could he have done for Grimmjow if they were both taken to prison?

The answer was simple.

There would have been  _nothing_  he could have done if he'd been taken away as well. Nothing at all.

Arguing Grimmjow's case to the captains would have probably been considered a moment of emotional irrationality on his end since Kenpachi seemed to know about his concern for Grimmjow with his 'regardless of what you're feeling right now' quote. Overall, it would have been a meaningless effort. After all, Grimmjow had attacked the kingdom just a few days ago. That, Ichigo had witnessed first-hand. He was not foolish enough to think they'd fall for anything he could have said when he  _fought_  Grimmjow one-on-one and was kidnapped by him after losing to him. He admitted to himself that there was absolutely nothing he could have done to have saved him from the confines of the underground dungeons of Seireitei, which made him feel so useless.

But… in spite of all of that… in spite of everything, he knew he would need to do something to help his former captor, and soon.

During his travels with Grimmjow, he'd really grown to care deeply for the man. So letting him rot in prison was not exactly on his to-do list.

"I'll have to find another way to help him out of this mess… Arguing for him won't get me anywhere, and I can't take on all the captains if I tried breaking him out… We'd probably both be put down on the spot. And I… I'm not ready to die just yet. But there has to be a way to go about saving him. I just need the right opportunity." He said quietly, and then turned.

Lying quietly on his side, he remembered the last thing that had been troubling him.

On top of the unrest between the two kingdoms, Nel and Pantera's unknown location, and Grimmjow's capture, what also worried the boy incredibly was Inoue.

After Grimmjow had been taken from him last night, he stopped by her apartment on his way home to check on her and talk to her about all of this, but she wasn't there. After doing a thorough search for her Reiatsu, Ichigo had found that she was nowhere in the kingdom… unless she was masking her energy. But Inoue doing something like that didn't make any sense at all. She was the kind of person who  _always_  wanted people to know where she was because they'd know she could heal them if they needed it.

Pulling the sheets up to cover everything but his brown eyes, the orange-haired boy started biting on his thumb nail. All of this was so… wrong.

"Ichigooooo!" a familiar voice called from inside the closet.

Said boy quickly pulled the covers completely over his head and closed his eyes. He was not in the mood to talk to Kon.

The stuffed plushie pulled the closet door open, and then jumped down from the shelf he'd slept on… and also hid from Yuzu on for the past few days…

"Ichigo! What are you doing still in bed!?" he asked after he looked at the clock on the boy's desk. "You're usually up and about around this time!"

"Please… not now, Kon."

"And why not!?"

Ichigo pulled his cover back so he could look the plushie in the face. "I don't feel like being bothered."

Kon folded his arms and started walking over to the bed. After jumping up onto it, he looked at Ichigo for a second.

Ichigo's eyes went wide when the stuffed animal walked over to the window and pulled the curtains back, revealing the light of day to the entire room. He quickly closed his eyes, pulled the sheets over his head, and curled up into a ball. "Damnit, Kon! I swear I'm going to give you to Yuzu one of these days!"

With his mouth wide open in horror, Kon jumped on top of Ichigo. "You're so HEARTLESS! You're the worst kind of owner I could ever have, Ichigo! What did a poor soul like me ever do to be given to someone as cruel as you?!"

"It'll be ten times worse if I give you to Yuzu! She'll pay attention to you, and you won't even be able to run away!"

"Ichigo, I swear-"

A knocking at the door stopped Kon in the middle of his sentence.

Ichigo pulled the covers back and sat up, revealing his bare torso. "I'm not eating breakfast today, Yuzu." He called.

The doorknob turned and the door opened, revealing Rukia, who was dressed casually.

"R-Rukia?"

"Good morning, Ichigo." The girl said. Stepping inside the room, she flipped the light on before walking over to Ichigo's desk.

"What are you doing here?" Ichigo asked, and then blushed when he realized he was only in his underwear.

Rukia rolled her eyes, before taking a seat at the desk. "You don't need to get all nervous, Ichigo. I'm not interested in you like that and you know it."

"Yeah, but still-"

"Anyway, I'm glad you're back. And I'm really glad you're not hurt."

Ichigo's expression changed from one of embarrassment to a downcast one. "Right. Thanks…"

"Rukiaaaaaa!" Kon shouted happily, and then jumped off the bed to greet her.

Sliding out of the way of the stuffed animal that was coming towards her, Rukia looked back at Ichigo. "I heard you brought in that Espada who attacked us a few days ago. How'd you manage to beat him?"

"I… That's… not important…" the boy responded.

Rukia looked him over and realized he wasn't too happy about his accomplishment. "I can tell you're not in the best of moods. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine…"

"I don't believe that, but I won't pry. You'll tell me what's wrong eventually."

"…"

"So hey… Um, what did that Arrancar want with you, anyway? The way he fought so desperately while he was here, and how he brought a small fleet along, says he probably wanted something from you."

"…"

"Ichigo?"

"…" said boy closed his eyes and turned away.

"I guess it's too early to talk about it all, huh? You can tell me when you're ready."

"Hey… Rukia?"

"What is it?"

Ichigo opened his eyes and looked back to the girl. "Have you seen Inoue around? I couldn't sense her Reiatsu anywhere."

Rukia looked down at her hands, feeling herself warming up from what Ichigo had just asked her. "That's actually what I came to talk to you about… I was hesitant at first, because you seem a little down already-"

"I told you I'm fine."

Squinting at Ichigo's interruption, the girl cleared her throat before she continued. "As I was saying… I'm… I'm sorry to have to be the one to tell you this…" she paused for a moment and considered what Renji or Senna telling him would be like, "Actually, I take that back. You need to hear this, and apparently I'm the best person to tell you."

"Tell me what?" Ichigo asked with an eyebrow raised in confusion.

"Inoue is no longer in the kingdom. She's gone to stay with the King for a while… It was a precaution the Head Captain took for the safety of Seireitei and everyone in it. Plus Inoue's, of course."

At hearing that, Ichigo's brown eyes grew wide and his eyebrows knitted down. "Wh-what?! What does that mean?!"

"Well, after she was taken captive by that Espada, it was feared that Aizen wanted her powers. The Head Captain wanted to prevent him from getting his hands on her abilities at all costs, so he-"

"That's not fair… It's not fair! Why should Inoue have to be moved like that?! Forced out of the kingdom because of her powers?! That's… that's complete bullshit!"

"Ichigo…" Rukia muttered, not believing what she had just heard the boy say.

"Ichigo has a soft spot for Orihime. What do you expect?" Kon said while picking himself up off the floor.

He jumped when the orange-haired boy glared down at him. It was apparently not the right time to be teasing him about Orihime.

"Ichigo, I know it's tough for you to hear. And I know it wasn't fair to just move Inoue the way he did, but the Head Captain had everyone's safety-."

"I know what you're going to say, Rukia. You don't need to say it, though."

"…"

Ichigo felt even worse now than he did when he first woke up.

Inoue was gone?

Not only did that upset him, but the thought of what he'd told Grimmjow made it so much harder to take. How could he get his arm healed now? When Inoue was far out of his reach and when Grimmjow was probably never going to see the light of day again, how could he possibly keep his word?

" _Crap… Grimmjow… this must all seem like one big trap to you, huh?"_

When Ichigo got out of bed and then put on some casual clothes, Rukia sighed. From the look on his face and the silence he had taken on, she knew he wasn't taking this news well.

"Rukia…" Ichigo called, after walking over to his bedroom door.

"Yeah?"

"I need to be alone for a while. I'm going out for a bit, so please don't follow me. Can you pass that message on to the others for me?"

"S-sure."

"Thank you. See ya later." The boy said, and then left his room.

The whole time he'd spoken to her, Rukia noticed, he hadn't once turned to look her in the face.

"Ichigo… I know it's hard, but feel better." She said quietly.

* * *

"I say we put him to death on the spot. Nothing good will come of keeping that man locked up any longer." Captain Kyōraku said, breaking the silence in the meeting room.

All the other captains, with the exception of Soi-Fon, were deliberating on what to do with the Arrancar being held in the dungeons beneath the main courthouse.

Kurotsuchi squinted and turned to Kyōraku. "How dare you! Do you know what a rare opportunity this is for me!? Examining a man who is an Arrancar  _and_  who previously held the title of an Espada isn't something I get the chance to do very often! We don't even fully know what an Arrancar is! They're inventions that Aizen came up with from origin's unknown! The subject you want to put to death could very well be the key to solving the longstanding mystery of Aizen's research while he was a captain here!"

"With all due respect, Kurotsuchi-taicho…" Unohana began, "He may very well be an Arrancar, but please don't forget he is part human as well. He is alive, just as you and I are. Please treat him as such."

"Goodness gracious! It seems none of you understand the gravity of this opportunity! If I can come to understand what an Espada is and perhaps figure out their strengths and weaknesses, then we will be able to properly defend ourselves against Aizen should he choose to attack us with them." The scientist said, and then turned to the Head Captain. "I need time to examine him properly!"

"Who says he'll go along with your research so easily?" Kenpachi asked. "You expect him to just offer himself to you for the greater good or something?"

"It doesn't matter what he wants! He's been completely restrained in his cell, so his objections mean nothing! I have Nemu conducting some tests on him and taking DNA samples while I stand here and argue with you people who don't seem to grasp the rarity of this capture. Though I did tell her not to punish him for any misbehavior... I want to save that part for my own entertainment!"

"I agree with Unohana-taicho." Komamura said. "Just because he is different doesn't mean you can treat him like a lab rat."

Ukitake decided to join in as well. "Please show him, in what may be his last moments in this life, that we of Seireitei are a kind and compassionate lot." He said to the obscure scientist.

Kurotsuchi had to keep himself from losing his temper for a moment. "You people-!"

Yamamoto banged his sword-concealing cane on the wooden floor, drawing the eyes of everyone in the room. "Before I make my final decision, we will speak with a representative from Los Noches." He said.

"A representative?" Komamura asked.

"Is Aizen not in?" Kenpachi added.

Hitsugaya stood silent with his arms folded and his eyes closed. He was somewhat glad to not have to look at Aizen's treacherous face.

"That's right. Apparently Aizen has already departed from Los Noches. So we will speak with someone who said he was left with the negotiation responsibilities. And that will weigh in on my decision concerning the soldier in our hold." Yamamoto answered, and then turned around to the large screen on the wall at the head of the meeting room.

The screen flashed a few times, and then it came on, revealing the appointed representative.

Everyone's eyes went wide, especially Komamura's, when Tousen appeared on the screen. He was standing in front of the camera with a blank look on his face.

"Greetings, Seireitei captains."

"Former Captain Tousen." Yamamoto acknowledged.

"You called me earlier, much to my surprise, to tell me about the man you've captured. I must say I am… utterly unmoved emotionally from hearing that."

"It is no secret that our kingdoms are no longer on speaking terms. But as we are not simple murderers, we wanted to hear anything you may have to say about your soldier." The old, bearded man continued.

"Grimmjow Jaegerjaques?"

"Oh boy…" Gin said, as he came in front of the camera beside Tousen.

"Ichimaru, what are you-"

"Hey there, captains! Hope you guys aren't still being overworked and underpaid, heh." The silver-haired man addressed, and then waved to the group.

"You shouldn't be here." Tousen commented.

"I wanna hear about this too!"

"Can we get back to the matter at hand?" Kyōraku asked.

Tousen turned from Gin and faced the camera. "The matter of Grimmjow Jaegerjaques?"

"Yes, what say you to argue his case? Though, no matter what you say, his fate at our hands is still sealed." Yamamoto replied.

"Kill him. It matters not to me, nor does it matter to Los Noches."

"Hey, Tousen!" Gin said, slightly shocked at the man's response. "Aizen-taicho wants Grimmjow-"

"I am not interfering with the Espada, nor am I putting an end to his life by my own hands. Actually, by giving them the jurisdiction to deal with Grimmjow, I am not going against Aizen-sama's orders. After becoming a wanted man in Seireitei, for his own reckless actions, his fate was sealed the moment he stepped foot into their kingdom." The dark-skinned man said seriously. "You all may do whatever you want with him. He is no longer our issue."

"And you're sure about this?" Kenpachi asked.

"Captain Zaraki." Tousen said. "You actually took out one of our Espada. While I do not support what you've done, I understand that he broke the already shattered treaty between our kingdoms… You were in the right and you all have been since the treaty was signed. In fact, by giving you all the man you wanted us to execute, I propose this."

"Tousen…" Gin muttered.

"Execute the traitor Grimmjow Jaegerjaques. Once you've done the deed, I hope we can reinstate our treaty and coexist peacefully once again. Let his death be proof of our loyalty to one another. He is in your hands now."

"Why does everyone want to sentence my guinea pig to death?!" Kurotsuchi asked with an irritated expression on his face.

"Guinea pig?" Tousen asked, and then smiled. Though he would never say it out loud, he was extremely pleased that Grimmjow's last days would be filled with the humiliation of being a lab rat for the twisted scientist.

"Head Captain, have you come to a decision?" Unohana asked.

"Indeed." Yamamoto answered. The room fell silent as everyone waited for him to verbalize his decision. "After taking into consideration Los Noches's stance on the matter, and factoring in the possibility of our own gain from Captain Kurotsuchi's research, I've decided that the Arrancar will be executed! However, it will be postponed until Thaardas* afternoon, two days from now!"

* * *

*Thaardas - Earthia's Thursday.


	24. ichigo's secret confession

One day after Head Captain Yamamoto's decision. The time of day: late noon.

With a skyward palm, Ichigo laid in the soft grass on a hill near the lake at the western end of Seireitei, thinking about Grimmjow.

As his hand was pointed at the sky, the boy couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to actually touch it. Or to touch a cloud. Or even… to touch Grimmjow just one more time… Any of those options were magical, if somewhat far-fetched, but the last seemed like the most plausible since getting into the dungeons probably wasn't that difficult a task.

Looking at his fingertips, Ichigo tried recalling how many times he had touched Grimmjow since their first meeting in Los Noches. How many times had they had sex since that day? How many times had he gazed into those beautiful cerulean eyes and saw them in his daydreams? How many times had that rare, stupid smile of his found its way to his thoughts and made itself at home there?

"I find it strange that I'm thinking of things like that." He said to himself, knowing there was no one else around but the few fishermen spread about at the bottom of the hill.

" _Do you love Grimmjow?"_

Pantera's question had been echoing in his head for a while now. And for a second, he wondered just where the inquisitive panther was with Nel.

He brought his hand down and rested it on his stomach, then felt as it moved up and down each time he inhaled and exhaled. Somewhere inside him was Grimmjow's Reiatsu, and he had the strangest feeling that it had decided to make its home in his lower abdomen to mingle with his own. He wasn't entirely sure why, but he just had a feeling that's where it was.

Getting back to Pantera's question...

He wasn't sure if he loved Grimmjow, though it wasn't  _impossible_  for those feelings to be there. He cared about the man's well being even more than his own, that was for sure.

At first, he figured he could talk to Zangetsu about this, but he ultimately decided against it. After all, the old man would probably say something meaningful for him to ponder, which would only make him even more confused than he already was.

There were actually plenty of people he could talk to about this, like Unohana, Yumichika, Rukia, Senna, Karin, Yuzu, Tatsuki, or Inoue…

His brown eyes closed and his face showed his depression about the thought of his bubbly friend.

"Inoue…" he whispered.

There was no way he could just ignore the fact that she was sent away to the high palace. And there was little chance that he could sit quietly to wait for her to return while he tried to live a normal life, as if nothing ever happened.

" _You'll always have a place to come home to."_  He thought seriously, while taking a look around at the kingdom a ways off in the distance.

After thinking that and taking what happened that day she was taken hostage into consideration, he realized that Inoue was no longer home because of Grimmjow. If he hadn't taken her when he attacked, then she would certainly be here right now.

But he didn't want to put the blame on Grimmjow entirely. He had been somewhat pleased to be in the man's presence again when he woke up his quarters at Los Noches palace. Somewhat. And if he was totally honest with himself, when Grimmjow said he wanted him to come back, he wanted to  _go_  back.

Something Ichigo seriously started considering was whether Grimmjow really deserve to be put to death for attacking Seireitei. He hadn't actually killed anyone.  _"In fact, all he wanted was me…"_

The boy closed his eyes tight when he recalled all the things he'd said to Grimmjow when he had been kidnapped by him the first time. Malicious things, like how he would be put to death for his actions. It pained him to think about Yamamoto's decision to have Grimmjow executed tomorrow, and he regretted ever saying the things he did to the man all that time ago. Now he didn't want Grimmjow to be killed. All the hatred he'd thrown at him in the beginning was because he thought Grimmjow had killed Renji and Rukia. But the two of them were still alive and well, so those feelings subsided long, long ago.

Sitting up and looking down to the vast blue lake before him, he was reminded of that oasis out in the desert where he and Grimmjow had connected on some level. When he thought about that and all of their other desert experiences, he realized they were more than just enemies now.

They had become, in his honest opinion, friends. Or frienemies.

And Ichigo was not one to sit idly by and let someone he considered a friend be killed for meager charges, or for any reason really.

After dusting his pants and white t-shirt off, the boy stood up and decided he was going to the dungeons to see Grimmjow.

* * *

It was dark. Dark and very warm.

The only light filling Grimmjow's cell came from the torches lining the walls of the hallway in front of it.

For some reason, he was the only one in this wing, even though there were a number of other cells on either side of his.

With shackles around his neck, right wrist, torso, and ankles, he was pretty much unable to move or get out of the kneeling position he'd been put in. It was the researchers' way of making sure he didn't rebel against them.

A wise choice, he admitted.

Because the things he would have done to them had he been able to get free only involved staining the floor in blood… and the things he would do to Kurosaki if he was able to get free…

" _I can't believe I allowed myself to be fooled by a Court Guard…!"_  he thought angrily.

It had been a trap all along. One where he allowed a pretty face and an appealing offer get the better of his judgment.

Moving past the thought of Kurosaki and his shenanigans, Grimmjow felt completely disgraced to have been restrained by the weaklings who put this charm on his chest. If he could have unleashed his power, there wouldn't be anything any of the people who had been constantly experimenting on him could do to save their pathetic lives.

As he recalled a few of the experiments, he couldn't think of them as anything more than never ending and humiliating.

One involved them shining a few kinds of lights into his eyes, where they came to the conclusion that he was a walking dead man since, instead of reflecting any of the lights, they remained a cerulean shade. Another was where they undressed him, observed his genitals, and then forced him to ejaculate, concluding that Arrancars were able to reproduce. They changed the temperature drastically and noticed that he didn't sweat in the heat, nor did he shiver in the cold. The monotone girl that scientist left him with took samples of his skin, blood, hair, saliva, fingernails, and urine to examine. When he pissed on her instead of into the cup the first time she tried to take a urine sample, he was surprised that she didn't punish him. However, when the head scientist came back, she told him about it. After having his balls squeezed in a death grip, Grimmjow decided to be more obedient. It was at that point that the golden-toothed guy concluded that for male Arrancars, their genitals were like an Achilles' heel.

More experiments followed, which tested his features that were uncommon to Earthians. From the first experiments, it was concluded that he was  _mostly_  Earthian. What they gathered from observing his hole and mask was that he was a hybrid of sorts. But they could not determine what kind of hybrid he was. Especially since the head scientist had seen him in his Resurrección state. The overall results were inconclusive, and Grimmjow relished in the sight of the freaky man nearly tearing his hair out as he tried to figure out exactly what he was.

"WHAT ARE YOU?!" he had asked him with wide eyes.

Grimmjow gave no response, of course. And even though he was punished for it, he couldn't stop grinning at the guy who had claimed he would unlock the secrets of his mysterious nature. He was intent on keeping what he had become a secret from everyone. The only ones who knew exactly what he was were Aizen, Pantera, and his fellow Espada, who shared his 'hybrid' nature.

With his eyes looking at the floor in his cell, Grimmjow sighed a heavy breath of relief.

Thankfully something had come up today and that deranged scientist took his assistants with him back to his division. It had something to do with a frost fusion or whatever, but he wasn't entirely sure about the details. After a while of being experimented on, his senses, especially his hearing, had become a little hazy.

That didn't mean he couldn't hear the two Court Guards coming his way, though.

After glancing up at them, he noticed they were bringing him his meal for the day.

"This is the guy who caused all that trouble a few days ago." One of them said.

"Seriously?" the shorter one asked.

"Yeah, he kidnapped Kurosaki and almost took that gorgeous friend of his, too."

The shorter of the two looked him in the eyes for a second. "We uh… brought your food." He said, holding the tray in the air.

Grimmjow watched as he callously dropped it on the floor and kicked it into his cell through the opening at the bottom where food was to be deposited.

The taller one was holding a glass in his hand and he turned to his partner. "Oi! What are you doing?!" he asked.

"This bastard is the reason my family's house was destroyed! And besides that," he began, and then looked Grimmjow in the eyes again, "I hate the look in this guy's eyes. He looks like a selfish piece of shit. If I remember correctly, he was a prince in Los Noches. He's  _gotta_  be in Hell enduring these living conditions."

The taller one jumped when his partner took the glass of water from him and unlocked the cell door. "Hey, what are you-"

"You want this?!" he shouted, and then slammed the cup on the floor in front of Grimmjow.

Although he didn't necessarily approve of his fellow Court Guard's actions, Renji watched the guy start stomping all over the prisoner's food. He was watching silently from a corner in the hallway because he had been monitoring the man who attacked him and Rukia and who had also kidnapped Ichigo since Captain Kurotsuchi started experimenting on him.

He turned when he heard footsteps echoing from the entrance of the wing.

When he saw that it was Ichigo, dressed in casual clothes, who was coming, he started to call out to him.

But something stopped him.

It puzzled him a bit as to why Ichigo was here in the first place, so instead of being obnoxious, he simply stepped back into a shadowed part of the hall Grimmjow's cell was on and remained quiet. He wanted to see just what Ichigo was up to, and since nobody knew he was here, he knew he could watch what his friend would sincerely do to the Arrancar.

"Hey, Isei, don't just stand there! Let's take out some frustrations on this guy before he's sent to Hell!" The man in the cell with Grimmjow said.

"But-"

"Is that the way we treat prisoners now?" Ichigo asked as he came up behind Isei and saw what the guy in the cell had done to Grimmjow's food.

"K-Kurosaki?!"

"What are you doing here?" Isei asked.

"I'm here to speak privately with the prisoner. I have some final words to say to him before his execution."

"That's not really regulation-"

"Neither is what that guy was about to do, or what he already did to the prisoner's food." Ichigo interrupted.

"Oi, Nansei! Let's get going! This guy's dead tomorrow, anyway!"

"Tsk... yeah. You're right. Let's get back to the other prisoners." said man responded, and then exited the cell.

When he heard the door to the wing close, Ichigo relaxed a bit and let his stern façade dissipate. He was now completely alone with Grimmjow.

Stepping into the cell, he knelt down and started cleaning the food up.

"This isn't what all Court Guards are like. I'm sorry you had to experience this." He said.

After sliding the tray out of his way, he pulled the booksack he had on off of his back and put it on the floor.

"I brought you some home-cooked food."

Grimmjow remained silent. He simply watched as Ichigo pulled a container out of the booksack and then a soup spoon.

"Oh, you're wet." The boy said.

He pulled out a white towel from the bag and got closer to the shackled man. Gently, he wiped him down and sighed. Grimmjow didn't deserve this.

It upset him so much that he forgot he had the towel pressed against the man's cheek.

"Sorry." He said, and then pulled it away.

After putting the towel back into the bag, he picked up the container of beef curry and rice.

"My little sister made this for dinner last night. I didn't eat any, so I brought you some leftovers. It's been a rough two days for me… but I guess it's nothing compared to what you must have gone through in here."

When the spoon came his way with curry in it, Grimmjow didn't know what to do. He was undeniably hungry, but he wasn't necessarily willing to trust Kurosaki again. Who knew? It could have been poisoned.

"Not going to eat?" Ichigo asked. With a smile, he brought the spoon to his own mouth and ate the curry himself. "It's really good!" he said rudely with his mouth full.

Grimmjow rolled his eyes, but inwardly sighed.

The curry did smell really tasty, and it looked very appetizing. Since Kurosaki had just eaten some himself, it probably wasn't poisoned.

It reminded him of the food he ate back home. None of the food he'd been given here compared to what he was used to…

"Grimmjow, you need to eat." Ichigo said. He picked up another spoonful of curry and made sure to get a few pieces of beef in it, then offered it to the man.

Closing his eyes to reserve his pride, Grimmjow opened his mouth. As a result of closing his eyes, he didn't notice the smile Ichigo gave him for nonverbally agreeing to be fed.

As he fed the stubborn man, Ichigo took note of the dungeon cell. It was dark, only lit by a few torches along the walls. The dim light in here starkly contrasted to the brightness he'd come from outside.

He wondered why they were keeping him here when they could have kept him in another wing where there was actual electricity.

Just what kind of experiments were they doing to him down here?

His thoughts vanished when Grimmjow, with his eyes closed, opened his mouth for more curry, even though he had just given him the last of it.

"I'm sorry, but it's all gone." He said regretfully. "I didn't realize you'd want more than the double serving I brought. You've got quite an appetite."

Grimmjow opened his eyes and was displeased to find Ichigo's words to be true. With no more delicious food to eat, he quickly turned his head and avoided looking at the boy, afraid of the thoughts creeping back into his mind. They were quite malevolent.

Ichigo put the spoon inside the container and then put it back into his booksack.

He couldn't decide what to say or do next, so he stayed kneeling in front of Grimmjow for a while silently. Seeing him bound the way he was, it definitely wasn't pleasing.

The sound of the flames crackling on the torches filled the room, and he began to feel anxious. He was definitely capable of getting nervous around Grimmjow…

In fact, there were a lot of things he felt when this man was around.

He never wanted to see him hurt. He wanted to please him and keep him safe. He enjoyed being in his company more than he wanted to admit. The thought of losing him stung him something fierce. Touching him was exhilarating. Being close to him made him feel like coming undone. He wanted to be with him always, never losing sight of the man he'd undeniably grown attached to.

All of it meant something.

" _I'm caught up in you."_  He thought with a small smile.

Reaching his hand out, he took Grimmjow by the chin and turned him so his fiercely glowing eyes were looking at him.

Leaning forward, since it was clear he could not move the man in front of him due to his restraints, Ichigo closed the space between them and pressed his lips against Grimmjow's.

He felt his heart racing excitedly as he kissed him. Kissing Grimmjow always made him both happy and nervous. In some ways, it was a really magical experience.

As always, he felt no response whatsoever from the other. But that didn't stop him from enjoying the closeness, the intimacy, of this moment.

His hand moved from holding Grimmjow's chin to rubbing his left cheek. He enjoyed this more than he knew, but what he did know was that he couldn't just forget this man. No matter what he did, he would always remember the cerulean-haired Arrancar who took something very important from him, yet gave him something precious in return...

Slowly, Ichigo pulled away from Grimmjow. In the dark, those glowing blue eyes were unmistakably staring into his, and he felt a little intimidated by them.

"Grimmjow, I didn't mean for any of this to happen… You weren't supposed to be taken from me…" he said remorsefully.

It earned him no response whatsoever.

"I'm really sorry… But I'll fix this somehow. I will."

Still, he got no response.

"I can try and help you escape." He said in an almost muted voice, just in case Captain Kurotsuchi had bugged the place.

Again, he got nothing.

"Say… say something, please!" the boy nearly begged, dying from the uncertainty of what Grimmjow was feeling. His gleaming eyes did not give away a single emotion, they simply stared into his emptily. The lighting didn't help the situation, either.

It became obvious that Grimmjow had no intention of speaking with him. And when he realized that, he grimaced and stood up abruptly, making sure to pick up his booksack as he did. "That attitude of yours and the way you always distance yourself from everyone are exactly why no one will ever love you, Arrancar!" he said angrily.

Turning around, he walked out of the cell and closed it behind him. Just before he rounded the corner, he stopped in the torchlight and turned to look over his shoulder at the man who had his head hanging low now.

"That is… no one will ever love you the way I do, Grimmjow Jaegerjaques." he said under his breath, and then rounded the corner.

"…!?" With his mouth hanging open and his dark amber eyes wide, Renji stepped into the torchlight and stared at Ichigo's backside until the boy was gone.


	25. birds of a feather

The next day, the day of Grimmjow's execution.

The sun shined brilliantly up in the sky above as Seireitei was blessed with another day. And even though it was an exceptionally good day to work, particularly out in the fields for those with agricultural jobs, a good percentage of the population from all regions of the vast kingdom had taken the day off to bear witness to the execution of the royal soldier from the desert kingdom, Los Noches.

Just a couple of days ago, it was that very soldier who invaded the kingdom and left a path of destruction in his wake, and it was all for the most obscure of reasons.

"Says here he kidnapped a Court Guard and tried taking a citizen from the kingdom as well." A young townsman said to her friend while holding up the execution edict that was in the newspaper as they headed to the scaffold behind the courthouse. General information about the invasion, and the resulting execution proclamation, had been posted on the front page of the newspaper for the last two days.

"What would he want with a random Court Guard?" her friend asked, then looked over her shoulder to try reading about it himself.

"Who knows? I guess it depends on who it was, but authorities won't release that information to general public. Though… I heard a rumor the other day that it may have been that orange-haired fellow. What's his name again? Oh… I can't remember… But he's a handsome one, I've seen him once before."

To the citizens, the Court Guards were protective agents. Their might was so incredible and their numbers so great that it was hard for anyone besides the captains and vice-captains to stand out to them. So the fact that it was Ichigo who had been kidnapped was undisclosed information to most citizens, apart from his family and close friends that is.

Inoue's involvement in the matter was also kept under wraps. Only a select few citizens who were uninvolved in Court Guard affairs even knew about her powers, like Ishida, Chad, Ishiin, Yuzu, Karin, Ururu, Jinta, and others she had grown close to over time. Since she came off as just another ordinary person, most of the other civilians didn't even know she was gone.

Tatsuki happened to be a part of the select few who had found out the details of what happened a few days ago. The fact that Orihime had been sent off to the High Palace didn't please her in the least, but there was nothing she could have done but send the girl off with a promise to see her again, very soon.

As she entered the downtown district, where everyone else was headed to watch the execution, she ignored the ignorant townspeople who didn't know much about this matter, but chose to talk about it like they knew everything. She could easily tell from their discussions that all they really wanted was to see an execution. It had been a while since the last one, but that one hadn't been as serious as this one was. Though, she'd honestly only heard about it on the news, so she didn't  _really_  want to deem it serious or not. That's just what most people around the kingdom had said when it was over.

When the large scaffold came into her sights, she looked around at the massive crowd of people that had gathered in front of it. There was absolutely no one here she recognized, which made her feel a bit relieved. Ishida was most likely busy at work, since his father did not close the hospital today. She heard his father had even threatened to fire anyone who was scheduled to work today that chose not to show up so they could witness the execution. Chad's whereabouts were unknown to her, but she didn't think he was the type of person to partake in something like this. There was also no sign of Keigo, Mizuiro, Chizuru, Michiru, or any of the others in their group.

So when she saw that she was the only one who chose to attend, she felt proud of everyone for not supporting this kind of thing.

The only reason  _she_  had come was to try finding Ichigo.

He was a Court Guard, which made her think he would be here, but she did not see him posted along the walls surrounding the area, nor was he anywhere up near the captains.

After looking around thoroughly, she saw that neither the Head Captain nor the person who was to be executed was present, either.

But she was mainly concerned with Ichigo. Sure, she was upset with the person who had the audacity to try taking Orihime from the kingdom and caused this mess, but she was also interested in seeing how Ichigo would react to this all, considering he promised her a long time ago that he would keep Orihime safe.

" _Where are you, Ichigo?"_  she thought, looking around the crowd for a head of bright orange hair for the second time.

"Is this really okay?" she heard a woman ask from in front of her. "I mean, executing a prince from Los Noches… and strengthening the spiritual shield on the eastern end of the kingdom, which is where people from Los Noches usually enter from… could we be going to war over this?"

"I don't know…" the man who was asked replied. "It has been a very long time since I've seen the defenses on the western end of the kingdom decreased so the eastern side can be more fortified. The last time that happened was while war was waging."

"Oh God, what if they call a draft and take my son away…?"

"No, they definitely have enough numbers to fight. I just worry what would happen to us citizens if worst comes to worst."

Tatsuki momentarily stopped looking for Ichigo and took a second to consider that.

If it came to war, would everyone be okay? The last time war broke out was a few years ago. She was young, so all she really remembered was being sheltered by the Court Guards. Hopefully they learned from the previous war and could better protect the kingdom this time around so there would be no invasions. Otherwise, she would stand up and fight if she had to.

A lot of thoughts were expressed as many conversations on the matter arose in the massive crowd.

"There's no way they would be doing this without permission." An older man interrupted the two up ahead who were still discussing Grimmjow's connection with Los Noches. "This is Seireitei, where things are done with consideration of the consequences that follow. If I know that old dinosaur Yamamoto, he probably already received permission to do this."

The old man's words put the two at ease, and Tatsuki as well. Though, spotting Ichigo was still at the top of her priority list.

" _You better show up for this… Ichigo…"_

* * *

Seated on a rooftop a ways away from the courthouse, but still watching as everyone gathered at the execution site, Ichigo couldn't help but feel very nervous about today. His heart was racing faster than usual, and it had been ever since he opened his eyes this morning.

Last night, he had stayed up thinking about what should be done—what he had to do today.

Everything he had decided before he went to sleep had been decided for Grimmjow's sake, and for Inoue's sake. And he would not be deterred from his important decision.

A familiar Reiatsu approaching him made him turn.

"Good morning, Ichigo!" Senna said with a smile as she jumped onto the rooftop beside her friend. "Whoa! What's up with the weird getup?"

She had taken immediate notice of his large, black, hooded cloak.

Since he was seated with his arm rested atop his right knee, she saw that underneath the cloak, he was not wearing his Court Guard Uniform. Also, strangely enough for someone who was obviously trying to be inconspicuous, there was something yellow and pointy sticking out from inside the hood.

"It's nothing." Ichigo responded, and then turned back to stare at the crowd gathered in front of the scaffolds.

"Hmm… well if you say so. Guess you're just trying a new fashion or something." The girl said, before taking a seat next to him. "You know… this execution is a big deal… What do you think it means, Ichigo? You were kidnapped by that guy, after all. So how do  _you_  feel about this?"

Said boy looked down at the shingles on the rooftop beside him. "I think… I think Seireitei is punishing Grimmjow for what he did. He invaded us and did a lot of damage, that's true… but…"

"But?" Senna echoed.

"But… he didn't kill a single citizen when he did. I don't think he deserves to be put to death for…"

The dark-haired girl rolled her eyes. "Oh my gosh, stop being so angsty and finish your sentences!"

Ichigo looked over at Senna, noting how blunt she was. As usual. "Sorry. I just… I don't think he should die for a simple kidnapping. I'm nobody in particular, so I definitely don't agree with this." He said.

"Shut up. You're somebody to me, you're somebody to your family, to our comrades, and to the rest of our friends. Don't you ever forget that, you hear?"

For just a moment, Ichigo felt a bit relieved in this unsettling situation. Having friends who sincerely cared about him, and having people believe in him, it made him very happy.

But there was something else that made him happy, and he wasn't about to simply let it be taken away from him forever.

After standing up, he looked down to Senna and smiled. "Thanks for that, Senna. I really appreciate it."

"Sure. But, where are you going?"

"I have something to do."

Senna watched as Ichigo walked over to the edge of the roof. "W-wait! Ichigo!"

The boy's brown eyes turned to stare into her bright orange ones. "I'll be back soon, Senna. Tell the others don't worry, and not to come after me."

"Huh?! What does that mean?!"

"There's something important I have to take care of, and it'd be best if I did it alone." With that said, Ichigo pulled his hood over his head and jumped down from the roof to the ground.

"Ichigo!" Senna called. Before she could even react, he was gone with a Flash Step, one much faster than she'd previously seen him use.

For the tiniest moment that she had sensed his Reiatsu, she felt something else coming from it that was very unfamiliar to her.

It was… another Reiatsu… One that she did not recognize at all. Most notably, while it lingered, it nearly suffocated her when she tried picking it up with her own.

* * *

After leaving his division, Yamamoto walked down the breezeway that would lead him out of headquarters. He stopped when he saw Kisuke Urahara and Captain Kurotsuchi coming his way.

"What are you two doing here?" he asked.

Urahara smiled. "Well good morning, Head Captain. It's been a while, huh?"

"It's only been a few days since you left, you bumbling fool." Kurotsuchi said, rolling his eyes.

"Good morning. Might I ask why you two are here? The only time I see you together, actually cooperating with one another, is when something serious has happened."

"Sharp as you ever were." Urahara said.

Stepping in front of the blonde man, Kurotsuchi shook his head disapprovingly at him before turning to face his captain. "Since he won't get to it, I will. In the past few days there has been some spiritual activity coming from that old temple in the Phantom Forest. It peaked for a moment last night, so it isn't something we want to ignore anymore. We believe it was Aizen's doing."

"The chances of it being him are ninety-nine point nine percent!" Urahara said over the other man's shoulder.

"Quiet you!" Kurotsuchi hissed. He looked back to his commander and continued. "I would have Nemu go investigate, but I already sent her on a mission to deal with that menacing volcano outside the kingdom far northwest from here."

"Isn't that where another one of those temples is?" Urahara asked.

"I said be quiet! Good gracious!"

Yamamoto ignored the usual banter between Kurotsuchi and Urahara and started stroking his gray beard as he considered what they had just told him.

Aizen was meddling in one of those old temples…? That wasn't a good sign.

"What will you have us do? Do we focus on him, or keep our priorities here in the kingdom?" Kurotsuchi asked.

The wind blew gently as Yamamoto voiced his answer, and calmed when he closed his mouth and started walking again.

"Aye aye." Urahara said.

Kurotsuchi turned and shooed the blonde man away with his hand, then followed after the Head Captain. It pained him greatly, but he would watch as the simpletons put his precious specimen to death since, as a captain, he had no choice but to attend.

* * *

At Grimmjow's emergence from the courthouse, the crowd of kingdom dwellers became much livelier in anticipation of his execution.

As he was led up the stairs onto the platform by the man who would be carrying out his execution, he stared down at the seemingly infinite number of people who had gathered to see him erased from existence. Some of them shouted at him angrily, asking how he could ever possibly live with himself for putting an end to the prosperous treaty that ended the war a few years ago. Some were insensitive and called him anything but human. Others, primarily women, noted what a waste of a fine man he was.

It all sounded like things he was used to hearing, ever since he was a child…

When he reached the place where he was to be beheaded and was forced to kneel down, he saw a small, almost unnoticeable group of people holding up signs that proclaimed execution was wrong and all life was a sacred gift from above.

It made him roll his eyes.

But somewhere deep down, he found it impossible to believe that anyone would vouch for his life.

" _I… I should've been dead long ago. And now that it's my time, it doesn't surprise me that this is how it ends. In front of a crowd of people who hate my guts, and who will probably drink to their heart's content when I'm gone."_  Taking a glance back over his shoulder at the man holding the dull-looking axe, he gritted his teeth.  _"Fuck. It would be a buff asshole with no actual bravery to take me out."_  He thought.

One thing he always knew was, if he was going to be killed, he wanted it to be by someone strong. Someone like Aizen, or Kurosaki...

The asshole standing behind him  _looked_  strong, but he could tell the guy would probably go cower in a corner if the war everyone was so afraid of was sparked.

" _Tch… maybe I never should have trusted that fucking punk… He was obviously lying to get me in this predicament… If he wanted me dead so bad, he should've taken me out in the desert when I was wounded. Why wait to get me here? Was he too afraid of killing me himself?"_

Taking a glance up at the sky, the cerulean-haired man saw that the day of his bloody end was bright and almost cloudless. It was a very nice day, he admitted.  _"How fitting. Even the world is smiling about me having my head cut off."_

* * *

"It's a nice day, isn't it Abarai-fukutaicho?" Byakuya asked Renji, trying to make small talk as they waited for the execution to begin.

The redhead turned and nodded to his captain. "Yeah. I guess even the heavens are telling us this is the right thing to do."

"The heavens, you say?"

"Yes sir. Where else would such a nice day come from? And… what else could they be smiling about? It's as if all of Earthia is rejoicing over what's to come, actually. Don't you agree?"

"I would not know for sure if the planet or the heavens are smiling about this. Perhaps there is something else we have yet to see that is making them seem so elated."

"That's possible too. But… in any case, let us focus for now, Taicho. It may be a nice day, but who knows what could happen…?"

"Agreed."

Although he hated ending conversations that his captain had initiated, since they were so few and short in between, Renji turned his attention back to the scaffold. Seeing that man, no, seeing that  _thing_  up there kneeling before the kingdom he wronged was such a fitting punishment for the bastard.

Though, that was not what he was anxious about.

What he was really looking for was a head of bright orange hair that belonged to Ichigo.

After hearing what he said to the criminal yesterday, he had steeled himself and was prepared to bring Ichigo back to his senses if he chose to do something… treacherous.

…

At least forty minutes had passed since Grimmjow had been led out to the scaffold, yet nothing happened. Nothing apart from him being read his charges and final rights as a human, that is.

Renji turned and looked at his captain. "Taicho, what exactly are we waiting for?"

Byakuya did not take his sights off the convicted criminal as he responded, "The Head Captain, of course."

The redhead's eyes went wide and he started inwardly fretting. He hadn't even noticed the Head Captain wasn't present because he was looking for Ichigo so adamantly. "R-right!"

All of the other captains were present and watching from high posts behind the large crowd of townspeople. Though, like Kurotsuchi, there were many among them who did not wish to see Grimmjow executed for simply invading the kingdom and kidnapping Ichigo.

Renji looked at each of them and their lieutenants for a moment, and then sighed.

Things would have been a lot easier if he wasn't the only one who knew about Ichigo's feelings. At least he wouldn't be the only one in a frenzied state of mind.

Byakuya, although still focused on the convicted criminal, decided to speak insightfully about how this event should unfold. "We are waiting for a very important reason. If the Head Captain does not give the order to carry out this execution, we could find ourselves in the same position as the man up there on the scaffold. None of the other captains have the authority to punish him, and Los Noches, though in agreeance with this, could take the initiative to attack us should one of us give the order to eliminate him. If you recall, that man was at one point an Espada. To them, Espadas, even though high ranking, are like our captains, unable to make interkingdom decisions that affect the previously established treaty. The only ones who maintain that authority are the leaders of the kingdoms, and even though he is not our king, Yamamoto-soutaicho has been granted permission to govern this kingdom in the High King's stead. The reason that man is up there facing his final moments is because he violated the treaty, and Yamamoto-soutaicho wants to demonstrate that no one but he and Aizen have the authority to do that. That is why this moment is so significant."

"So the Head Captain wants to ensure the responsibility from this moment falls on his shoulders alone, right?"

"Correct."

Renji turned his full attention back to Grimmjow. The people had died down with their initial excitement about him being brought out, and were getting restless now.

The moment he saw a few hooded figures enter the crowd, he felt a tug on his sleeve.

Turning, he saw that it was Rukia and Senna.

"What are you two doing here?" the tattooed man asked.

"Well, we're a bit concerned about Ichigo." Rukia said.

"Yeah, he's been acting very shady and kinda depressed lately." Senna added.

Renji squinted and turned to the taller of the two girls. "Senna, shouldn't you be on guard duty at the southern entrance today?"

"Is that really important now?" said girl asked.

"Renji,  _this_  is important." Rukia said.

The fact that these two chose such a crucial time to come find him to talk about Ichigo made Renji realize even they must have known he was up to something.

"I… I know everything." The redhead commented. He then begged his captain's pardon and took the two of them down from his post to an empty area behind the large crowd of townspeople.

"What exactly do you know about this? Was there something I missed in the briefing?" Rukia asked.

"No, you couldn't have known about this. Not by a long shot."

"Known about what?" the violet-eyed girl asked.

"I… I heard something Ichigo said yesterday. And from that, I suspect he may try freeing the prisoner before he can be executed."

"Ooh! I-I knew I should have stopped him when I had the chance!" Senna shouted, drawing the eyes of a few citizens.

"What does that mean?" Renji asked with a raised eyebrow.

"He told me earlier this morning that he had 'something to do.' He was all shady about it, too." The girl replied.

Now sure of the boy's motives and a bit angry about them, Renji turned and desperately looked out to the crowd for Ichigo. Would he  _really_  betray everyone in Seireitei for that  _Arrancar_?! For a second, he looked at Grimmjow and felt that he could do away with him himself for causing all of this.

"Renji! If you're looking for Ichigo, you won't find him by his hair! He's wearing a black hooded cloak!" Senna said.

Rukia looked out to the crowd, where she saw quite a few people wearing hoods. Though, there were only four with black ones on.  _"Ichigo, what are you planning?"_  she thought. It occurred to her that maybe that day she had last seen him, it could have been possible he was upset about more than just Inoue being sent to the High Palace.

"Why didn't you stop him if you knew something beforehand?!" Senna shouted at Renji, interrupting Rukia's thoughts.

"I went looking for him last night, but he wasn't home! And I couldn't find his Reiatsu, either!  _You're_  the one who could've stopped him!"

"How was  _I_  supposed to know he would try to-mmph!?" Senna's orange eyes went wide when Renji clasped his hand over her mouth.

"Keep that down… We can't have everyone finding out about this."

"You two are drawing a lot of attention to us." Rukia commented. "Let's start trying to find him."

"Agreed." Renji said.

Senna snatched his large hand from over her mouth and folded her arms. "You should be more grateful to me. If I hadn't come with Rukia, you'd never have known he was in a cloak."

"Yeah, write a book or something. Now let's go before he does something foolish!" the redhead ordered.

He, Rukia, and Senna split up and squeezed through the crowd, heading to three of the four people in black hoods.

It was then that the Head Captain arrived on the captains' post and banged his cane on the ground. "It's time for the execution to begin!" he declared, causing the crowd to shout out in anticipation of it.

* * *

Standing nervously at the front of the crowd under the protection of his dark cloak, Ichigo gripped what he was holding in his hand tightly to keep them from slipping out of his somewhat sweaty grasp.

As he stared up at Grimmjow, he couldn't help but think back to what Unohana had said to him when the captains had taken him away that night.

" _Please do not do anything that will result in your death when you depart..."_

Had she… had she known about this all along…?

"Whatcha thinking about?"

Ichigo jumped at the sound of Kon's voice coming from his hood.

"Kon?! What the hell are you doing here?!" he whispered with annoyance in his voice.

"I snuck into your cloak before you left the clinic yesterday. I knew from the look on your face when you came back home that you'd be leaving the kingdom again, and I wasn't going to be left hiding in the closet from that sister of yours again!" the stuffed lion replied with a similar, annoyed whisper.

Ichigo decided not to deal with Kon right now. The last thing he needed was attention from the people around him, or the captains in the back.

This absolutely had to go smoothly.

And he only had a few seconds to do it in.

The executioner was already sharpening his broadaxe.

"Gonna put everyone to sleep?" Kon asked.

"No, you fool. I'd risk putting myself to sleep as well, and that wouldn't help this situation at all."

"So you really are gonna leave? Anything you do here to save that guy will result in your banishment, you know…"

Ichigo ignored Kon and moved the smoke grenades in his hand so they were in between his each of his fingers. They would keep him from being seen so he would not be charged with treason for helping the man he cared for so much.

The executioner had just finished sharpening his broadaxe, and was now walking over to Grimmjow.

He admitted that Grimmjow looked so helpless in that kneeling position. It didn't fit him at all.

" _I'll save you, Grimmjow! I'll_ never _let them kill you!"_  he thought with gritted teeth.

At the same time the executioner lifted his weapon into the air, he lifted his hand that was holding onto the smoke grenades out from under his cloak.

Before either of them could act, an earsplitting screech in the distance stopped them.

Everyone in the crowd looked up to the sky in the direction it had come from. Even Ururu and Jinta, who were wearing black cloaks to help Ichigo not get caught by his fellow Court Guards.

On the horizon, there were multiple shadows approaching.

Something big was coming.

An angry growl echoed stridently in the air, scaring quite a few of the people in the crowd.

Jinta's eyes lit up excitedly as he looked up to the sky and held onto his hood. "A-are those-"

"Gotcha!" Renji shouted, and grabbed him by the shoulder.

"P-pineapple head?!" the boy asked with wide eyes.

"Y-you! What are you doing in this cloak?!"

"Heh, Ichigo thought it'd be best to keep you and the others from coming into contact with him today, so Ururu, Tessai and me all came to throw you guys off! And you fell for it! I'm not even the same height as Ichigo!"

Renji smacked his lips. Ichigo really was clever, wasn't he? He hadn't even seen him watching him in the dungeon yesterday, but even so, he still made sure to cover his tracks and hide out until that Arrancar's scheduled execution. "I'll deal with you later!" he said irritatedly, and then left Jinta in the crowd. Looking over, he saw that Rukia and Senna had already caught Tessai and Ururu. He was far from the front of the crowd, but that was where the last person wearing a black hooded cloak was standing. And that's where he was going.

"LOOVER BOOOOOOOOOOYYYYY! WHERE ARE YOOOOOU?!" Nel's voice rang as she rode into the kingdom on a flock of giant hawks.

Pantera, who was on one of the hawks behind her, looked down to the scaffold and saw the position Grimmjow was in. He growled low in his throat at the man holding the broadaxe.

Ichigo smiled up at their incredible timing and then looked down to the smoke grenades in between his fingers.

When Nel and Pantera jumped down next to the executioner, he took the chance to jump onto the platform with them. He grimaced at the pain  _he_  could almost feel when Nel knocked the executioner out by kicking him in his temple.

Grimmjow's cerulean eyes went wide when he saw Pantera coming over to him. "What are you doing here?!" he asked.

Ichigo turned back to the crowd and raised his hand. When he spotted Tatsuki standing with a baffled look on her face, he hesitated.

"Hey, who are you?!" Nel shouted at the cloaked figure when her eyes landed on him.

Before responding to Nel, Ichigo threw the smoke grenades out into the crowd and watched as they filled the air with a dark, thick cloud of smoke.

"It's me, Nel." The boy said, and then turned around to remove his hood, revealing his face and orange hair to her in the sunlight.

Grimmjow squinted, Pantera did not respond, and Nel smiled big before she jumped onto him excitedly.

"Ichigo! Oh I'm so glad you're okay!"

"Nel, you're crushing me!" Ichigo replied. It was then he remembered what was inside his hood.

After getting Nel off of him, he reached into the hood and pulled Kon out.

"Oh how cute!" the teal-haired girl exclaimed.

"He's far from it, actually." The boy said, and then dropped Kon onto the ground.

"You really are the worst owner ever!" the plushie said, with tears in his button eyes.

"How can a stuffed animal be crying?" Ichigo asked.

"Because I have a heart!"

Nel walked over and bent down in front of Kon sympathetically. "Oh, Ichigo! How could you be so mean to this little guy!? He's the cutest thing ever!"

"Keep him around for a while and you'll see how easy it is."

Kon's expression changed dramatically when Nel, in her large-breasted glory, got close to him.

Ignoring those two for a moment, Ichigo anxiously walked over to where Grimmjow was and kneeled down in front of him. He didn't know what to say, but he did know what he had to do.

Pulling Zangetsu out from under his cloak, he severed the chains binding the bluenette, then stood up. He looked over to Pantera for a second and immediately felt guilty that he had abused the panther's trust in him. "I'm sorry I couldn't keep Grimmjow safe. But I… I really was trying to help him." He said.

"It's no problem, human. I can tell just by looking at you that you did your best to take care of Grimmjow. Thank you for trying. That's more than most would have done."

"Hmph… What are you trying to accomplish by saving me?" Grimmjow asked, and then got up.

Ichigo turned to him and smiled. "I don't really know. But I can't just let you die." He said. When the taller man walked over to him, he reached out and touched his scarred chest for a moment. Grimmjow's heart was at a steady pace, meaning even when faced with death he was unafraid.

His wound had also completely healed, even though it had still been there when his Resurrección state fled. It was probably Captain Kurotsuchi's doing to prevent him from dying before he could examine him more, he concluded.

"BOYFRIEND!" Nel coughed.

Turning and squinting, Ichigo voiced his disapproval of her statement. "It's  _not_ like that! I told you already!" he said, and then looked at Grimmjow out of the corner of his eye to see how he had reacted to Nel's teasing.

He seemed completely unmoved by it.

"Boyfriend?!" Kon shouted.

"Argh! Look, we don't have time for this! We need to get away from here before the smoke clears." Ichigo said. After getting a little closer to Grimmjow, he moved his hand so that it hovered over to the Reiatsu restraining charm, and then he removed it. "You should be able to get out of the kingdom now. Just head to the west were the defenses are weakest. But please… on your way out, don't kill anyone even if they get in your way. Don't forget why we're in this mess in the first place."

"Tsk! I ain't running from anyone! These bastards want me dead, so let 'em try to kill me now that I'm unrestrained! And that goes for you, too!" the taller man said angrily.

"Grimmjow! It's not about your pride here! You don't have your Zanpakutō! And even if you did, you'd be no match for the captains who are probably making their way through the smoke right now! Get out of here while you still can, or this will all have been for nothing!"

"You're basically telling me to run with my tail between my legs!"

"No, I'm telling you to  _survive_  to fight another day! Stop being so stubborn and listen to me!"

"Dramaaaaa…" Nel commented.

"Tsk!" Grimmjow balled his hand up into a fist, but decided to go anyway. Kurosaki had a point, no matter how annoying he was about it. "Fuck this! Pantera, come!"

Pantera shook his head at the man. "No, you escape. I almost lost you once, as I was hesitant to fight because I was blindly following your orders, but I won't let it happen again."

"Don't be foolish! If I can't take on the damned captains here, then you definitely can't!"

"But Grimmjow, I have to try. For you. You didn't hesitate to save me all those years ago, and I won't be hesitant to protect you."

The bluenette's right eye twitched, but he turned around anyway. "Fine! Do what you want!" he said, and then jumped up onto the courthouse's rooftop.

"I'll meet up with you later!" Ichigo called after him, and then turned to Nel. "Nel, come with me and we'll go find his sword!" When Nel puffed out her cheeks and looked at him annoyedly, he raised an eyebrow. "What?" he asked.

"You must not have realized that I've tamed those giant hawks, huh?"

"You... tamed them?"

"Yeah, for the time being… They wanted to gain entrance into the kingdom, and I needed their strength. So this place will have a very big bird problem, if you'll pardon the pun, for a while. And they're strong, so your captains will be busy with them, allowing you to get away. But I will stay with Pantera-"

"And me!" Kon interrupted. He was hanging around the girl's neck and looking over her shoulder at Ichigo.

Nel pulled out her sword and continued, "I'll hold off these guys to make sure you've gotten away with your man before coming after you. But… don't wait for us. Go as far across Earthia as you possibly can, and trust that, just like today, we'll meet again."

"But Nel! You can't really think that… can you?" the boy asked. He really did not want to leave her behind again.

Whipping around and thus turning her back to Ichigo, Nel looked up to the sky. "I sincerely do. And it's because we're friends. Birds of a feather flock together, remember?!" she said, and then leaped up through the smoke.

Ichigo jumped in surprise when Pantera did the same. He had forgotten he was back there…

Some of the smoke cleared and he saw that they had both landed atop two large hawks and were heading in the opposite direction Grimmjow had left in. They were going to act as decoys.

"Right! Birds of a feather!" the boy said reassuringly, and then quickly turned around.

Into the smoke he ran, heading to the dungeons underneath the courthouse so he could retrieve Grimmjow's Zanpakutō.


	26. treacherous, hopeless love. departing from seireitei

The halls and rooms inside the courthouse were silent. Unbelievably so.

Even the two Court Guards stationed in the office that was just below the courthouse had been quietly working all morning long, only having spoken to each other when they'd first arrived. Of course, they had chosen to discuss the execution happening above ground.

The entire courthouse had three total levels.

The first was the above ground level. It was a large building where trials were held for people accused of crimes both great and small who had been sent to the prison a few blocks away.

The second was a sort of in-between for the courthouse and the dungeons, and was underground. It was where people who were charged with serious offenses passed through for check-in and removal of any and all belongings before they were sent to the third level. Accordingly, it was also the place they passed through on their way back up to be executed for their crimes. There were usually two Court Guards stationed in this office. One who performed the booking and check-in duties, and the other who simply guarded in case someone got bold enough to slip past the first level to get into the dungeons.

The third and final level was where the dungeons were, which were just below the second level. The dungeon contained four wings: a north wing, a south wing, an east wing, and a west wing. All wings but the southern wing had electricity, since the southern wing was constructed when Seireitei was first founded. It was a mutual decision among the captains to leave it as it was so that hard time criminals, such as serial killers and rapists, would be faced would be faced with darkness and solitude. It promoted the idea that those who committed great sins would live in the shadows where they belonged, never to see the light of day until their last moments-which also happened to include a crowd of unhappy citizens.

It should be noted that all criminals, of any type of offense, who are brought to the dungeons have already been found guilty and will await execution. Anyone who hadn't already been convicted would just be sent to the prison until their court trial.

Grimmjow, who had violated the peace treaty between Seireitei and Los Noches, and thus almost initiated a war, had been placed in the southern wing.

Ichigo thought about all of that as he snuck through the courthouse and down the stairwell that led down to the second level of this establishment.

When he reached it, he opened the door at the bottom of the stairwell and was immediately met with shocked and confused expressions from the two guards in the office.

Since he had thought ahead and pulled his hood back over his head before entering the courthouse, they had no idea who he was.

Though, just because they didn't know who he was didn't mean he would simply take them out violently.

Pulling out a sleeping gas-filled smoke ball, he threw it inside the room, and then slammed the door shut.

It would take about two minutes for the smoke to clear, so he had no choice but to wait. Though, waiting was not in his best interest at the moment. Sure, Nel and Pantera were outside holding the captains off, and he had escaped via smoke screen, so no one had seen him enter the courthouse, but still… Looking up to the top of the stairwell, he couldn't help but feel nervous.

"What did you throw in here?!" he heard one of the officers inside the room ask.

Quickly, he grabbed the door handle and held onto it to keep him from opening it.

After a few loud bangs against the door, he heard something hit the floor, followed by complete silence.

Taking a chance after the two minutes were up, he opened the door and stuck his head inside.

One Court Guard was lying behind the booking counter, and the other was lying on the ground right in front of him. Both were unconscious.

"Good." He said.

Moving fast, he went into the booking room and looked around.

There were plenty of storage lockers, but he found Grimmjow's Zanpakutō standing in a corner with a price tag on it that read $4450.

These guys were shamelessly planning to auction it off after Grimmjow had been executed.

Ichigo picked the weapon up and snatched the tag off of it. The fact that these guys were just looking to make a quick buck from something this precious to Grimmjow made him angrier than he was willing to admit.

After the tag fell to the floor, he stared down at the sheathed sword in his hands.

This was the very weapon that had nearly taken Rukia and Renji from him. The one that he had felt with his own blade many times when he'd fought Grimmjow. He unsheathed it slightly and watched as the blade glistened in the light. It was both deadly and stunning at the same time.

"Just like Grimmjow…" he mumbled.

This blade belonged to a man that he had convinced himself he was in love with, even though he knew it was a hopeless love.

The fact that he admitted those feelings to himself scared him. It scared him because this person was an enemy. That is, he was an enemy to his home, to his comrades, and to his friends.

Grimmjow had said himself that he didn't care about Seireitei, or at least that's what he implied.

One day, this weapon could possibly be used against it…

"…"

But this was  _today_. Today-when Grimmjow was just trying to get out of this place with his life.

"This sword is precious to him…" he began, and then slowly turned around with it, "So it's precious to me, too."

Without another word, Ichigo placed the Zanpakutō beside Zangetsu under his belt and hurried out of the office. It was time to rendezvous with Grimmjow.

* * *

Having decided to slip out through the side entrance, reserved exclusively for the judges and juries, Ichigo jumped all the way up to the roof on the courthouse and took a second to look back at his comrades who were battling it out with Nel's flock of giant hawks.

He did feel guilty about going along with this, but he knew he would feel even guiltier if he had just let Grimmjow die. Seireitei could rebound from this attack, but Grimmjow could not rebound from death.

And that was how he rationalized his treacherous actions.

Just as he was about to Flash Step away from the area, he stopped and turned when he heard his name called.

"Ichigoooo!"

It was Senna.

Said boy slowly pulled his hood off his head and watched as she, Rukia, and Renji all jumped up onto the other end of the roof. He had hoped he could get away without facing any resistance, but apparently that was not to be…

"ICHIGO! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Renji asked. The expression he had on his face was a confused, angry, and nervous one all at the same time.

"Renji…" the boy mumbled as he made eye contact with him.

"Return that sword to the dungeons and get back to the city to help defend the kingdom!"

Senna pointed at Ichigo accusingly. "Why'd you smoke screen everyone, ya jerk?!" she asked.

Rukia remained silent. She was trying to figure out what Ichigo's motives were in freeing the prisoner. Considering that he was most likely long gone by now, she concluded, from that cloak and his taking the sword from the dungeons, that Ichigo planned on joining him.

"Ichigo, have you finally snapped?! Do you know what you're doing?!" Renji shouted.

"Why won't you say anything to us?" Senna asked.

Ichigo held his tongue. He had decided yesterday that he would rather live with them being alive and confused about his actions than to live with perpetual regret about not saving the man he loved.

"Don't betray everything you love for that man, Ichigo! He'll only end up being your downfall!" Renji shouted.

The orange-haired boy tried, he really did, but he couldn't keep quiet any longer. All of this wasn't  _just_  about Grimmjow, and it wasn't about betraying everything he loved, either. "Even so," he began, "I have to go, Renji… I promised I'd help him… and I want to bring Inoue back home, so it's not just about him. He can help me with that. Please understand."

Renji glared and started running over to where Ichigo was, but just before he reached him, the boy was gone with a Flash Step.

"ICHIGOOOOOOOOOH!" he called.

"Renji! Don't go after him! We have to deal with those hawks first!" Rukia said when she saw Renji about to follow the boy. She then turned back in the direction of the execution grounds and made to jump.

"Are we just letting him get away?" Senna asked, stopping her from going.

"No. But the kingdom must come first. We can deal with Ichigo later." The shorter girl replied. "Besides… if he's planning to find Inoue, we know where we need to go. But that has to come later. There are citizens getting caught up in those hawks' raid right now. You know where our priorities lie, and you do too, Renji."

Said man slammed his hand against the roof and gritted his teeth.  _"That... that damned Arrancar! This is all his fault!"_  he thought, watching as Ichigo leapt over the kingdom wall in the far distance.

* * *

With the wind blowing gently against him, Grimmjow stood with his hand in his pocket, staring out at the vast and glittering lake that was to the west of Seireitei.

He had been fast enough that he hadn't been seen as he escaped from the western end of the kingdom, and now he was here waiting for Kurosaki to arrive.

Taking a glance down at what remained of his left arm, he recalled the boy's insistence that his friend could heal something like this. Thanks to falling for that idea, he wound up in a dungeon as some freakshow's scientific experiment, and had almost been executed as well.

To make matters worse, now he was here  _waiting_  for Kurosaki to show up with his Zanpakutō.

"Tch… What a disgraceful soldier I've become…" he muttered.

Thinking back to when he was about to be killed by Nnoitra, and then again today, he remembered that even Pantera seemed to be allowing himself to believe that that kid could take care of him.

But Grimmjow was independent. He didn't need anyone's help to keep living. All he needed was his own strength. That meant for now he would wait, because a soldier without his weapon was as good as dead in this merciless world.

Kurosaki's helping him was beneficial, but not necessarily crucial to him. That's what he told himself, and it is what he believed.

The fact that he had saved him from execution was just prolonging the death he already knew was coming for him.

But since it seemed that he wasn't supposed to be dead just yet, he decided to keep getting stronger so he could meet a fitting end at the hands of someone even stronger than he was. Dying by execution was a pretty shitty way to go for someone with as much power as he had.

_"I won't let those bastards catch me again."_  He thought, before heading down the small hill and stopping in front of the lake. For a while, he stood there, just watching as it glistened in the sun's warm glow.

When he caught sight of a few fish swimming in the shallow end of the lake, he instantly lost focus of anything else and concentrated on their movements.

If there was anything Grimmjow loved to eat, it was fish.

His cerulean eyes locked on to one, and he watched it carefully for a few seconds. After memorizing its patterns, he crouched down and got ready to catch it. However, the second he made to slap his target out of the water, it caught sight of him and swam away quickly.

"Shit!" he cursed, and then slapped the water angrily.

When he looked up from the lake, something caught his attention.

Floating on the horizon, high over the ice-capped mountains and nearly impossible to see, was the High King's palace. From here, it seemed like it would take a few days to reach, even while using Sonído.

Aizen had told the Espada about the palace… or, to be more precise, he told them what  _he_  knew about it. It was where the king resided, far away from Seireitei and its people. He had an inner court consisting of some of the best Court Guards in Seireitei's history living there with him, which, when he heard it, made Grimmjow think he wasn't as strong as everyone thought he was.

And he still felt that way. Even moreso now that he was seeing the palace with his own eyes.

"Coward… staying all the way back there when your people are down here in harm's way…" he mumbled.

As soon as he said that, he felt a familiar Reiatsu approaching and turned.

It was Kurosaki who was coming his way, using that technique Court Guards used that was similar to the Arrancars' Sonído.

Ichigo carefully landed right in front of Grimmjow and then looked him in the eyes.

Neither of them said a thing to the other until Ichigo pulled Grimmjow's prized Zanpakutō out from under his cloak.

"I brought this for you just like I promised." The boy said, and then held it out with both hands.

Grimmjow took his weapon and then turned away without offering any kind of thanks. The way he saw it, it was Ichigo's fault he wound up in this mess in the first place.

"…" Ichigo stared at the larger man's backside for a while, wanting to say something to him. Anything really. But no words would come out.

He watched with a somewhat disappointed expression when Grimmjow started walking away from him.

This scene was all too familiar to him. It had played out a thousand times in his head during their travels in the desert. He knew this was ultimately how Grimmjow would leave him. Without thanks, without words. He'd just walk away as if they'd never met, even despite everything they had been through.

But he didn't want that.

He loved Grimmjow, and the thought of never seeing him again caused him to do the most unexpected of things.

Before the man could get too far away, he ran after him, and when he caught up to him, he wrapped his arms around his torso from behind.

The cold look he got when Grimmjow looked back at him didn't sway his emotions. He would accept that look forever if it meant he wouldn't have to part ways with this man that he'd fallen for.

"What the hell are you doing, Kurosaki?"

"Grimmjow, I need to talk to you… So… don't go…" the boy answered.


	27. beginning of the journey

"Scatter, Senbonzakura Kageyoshi."

Rukia's violet eyes lit up at the sight of her brother's Bankai being unleashed. It always amazed her, how beautiful it was. The lovely pink cherry blossom petals that danced elegantly after a group of hawks to chase them away from the kingdom were truly a sight to behold.

A second wave of the petals struck down an incoming group of the large birds effortlessly. But his work had only just started, as a few more flocks were on their way into the kingdom.

"Onii-sama!" Rukia called as she landed behind him.

Byakuya turned around and acknowledged his younger sister, "Rukia, what are you doing here? You had no duties to guard this place today. It's dangerous." The calm man said. Yes, that was his greeting to his younger sister. In this moment, her safety was high on his priorities list.

Rukia looked to the ground. "Well… I-"

"Taichoooooo!" Renji shouted as he landed on the ground beside Rukia.

"Abarai-fukutaicho, what is going on? Why did Rukia take you away from your post, and where did you go when you left the execution grounds?"

"Taicho, I apologize for leaving my post! But I have bad news! It seems that the Arrancar escaped from the kingdom, and he took Ichigo with him!"

Senna, who had just landed behind Rukia, made to correct Renji. She was stopped, however, when Rukia put her hand on her shoulder. She quickly realized that the goofball was covering for Ichigo.

"Kurosaki Ichigo was kidnapped?" Byakuya asked calmly.

"That's right! We need to pursue them and get him back!"

The raven-haired captain closed his eyes to consider this for a moment. It seemed that this flock of hawks was no coincidence. He started to wonder if Los Noches wanted their former Espada back and decided to use these creatures to try retrieving him. He also considered that they had some use for Kurosaki, since this was the second time that same Arrancar had taken him from the kingdom. "How did the Arrancar come across Kurosaki in such a short time and escape from the kingdom?" he asked.

Renji's eyes went wide. "H-how…?"

"Yes. If he had gone after Kurosaki, heading to the Kurosaki family clinic, then he couldn't have escaped by now. Even if he used the technique the Arrancars use that is similar to our Flash Step, he would only just be getting away now."

"Uh… Well…" Renji inwardly fretted. He didn't want to sell Ichigo out to his captain. And he wasn't quick enough to think up a good reason as to how Ichigo had been 'captured'.

"Ichigo was in the area!" Senna answered in Renji's stead.

"Is that so?" Byakuya asked.

Unohana walked over to her fellow captain and stopped beside him. "Kuchiki-taicho, I don't believe we have time to discuss the details. If Kurosaki-san has been taken, we should dispatch a squad to retrieve him." She said, saving Renji, Senna, and Rukia from being broken by Byakuya's incessant prying.

She was very aware of who was under that cloak, and she was also aware that he had willingly followed after the Arrancar who escaped from the execution grounds. She wasn't about to hold him responsible just yet for his feelings or actions. The future would tell what would come of these choices he made here, and she was very hopeful that it would be a wonderful future.

"A team, you say? Who would make up this team?" Byakuya asked, and then sent a wave of cherry blossom petals after a hawk.

"Let me go, Taicho." Renji said assertively. "I know the situation better than anyone, so I should be the one to go."

"I think that is a good idea. A Vice-Captain will be a perfect choice, considering all of our captains are currently busy defending the kingdom." Unohana said.

"Abarai-fukutaicho, I will trust you with this task: bring Kurosaki Ichigo back to the kingdom, and the Arrancar he was taken by if possible. We have all the power that we need here to defend this kingdom, so you form a small team and head out immediately."

"Yes sir!" Renji said with a bow.

At seeing his subordinate's determined look, Byakuya left the matter in Renji's capable hands and turned back the many large hawks in the area. "Do your best, Abarai-fukutaicho." He said, before he jumped up onto the rooftop of the courthouse.

These menacing birds had to be dealt with as promptly as possible.

When she saw that her brother and the other captains were taking control of the situation, Rukia walked over to Renji. "Renji, I'm coming with you." She stated while looking him in the eyes.

"Rukia… are you sure? This is the Arrancar who attacked us in the desert. What if he-"

"I'm going. There's nothing you can say to sway me." The girl insisted. "Besides, you'll wind up doing something foolish if I  _don't_  go."

"…All right. We should get going before Ichigo gets too far away from the kingdom. By now he's probably reached the Forbidden Meadow…"

"I'm going too!" Senna said when Renji and Rukia started walking towards the exit to the execution grounds.

Renji smacked his lips in annoyance and looked over his shoulder. "We don't have time to babysit! You're not coming with us!" he said.

"I am and there's no way you can stop me!"

"Oh yea-"

"Renji, let's take her with us. The more familiar faces that Ichigo sees, the more likely he is to come back with us." Rukia advised.

"Then we should go as well." A voice called.

Rukia, Renji, and Senna all turned and saw both Ishida and Chad approaching.

"Ishida? Chad?" Renji said with a confused expression.

"We saw Kurosaki running away from you three while we were on our way here. If you're going after him, we will accompany you." Ishida spoke, and then turned to Rukia. "Kuchiki-san, if you believe there's something going on with him, we can't just go home."

"That's right. It's been way too long since we all worked together." Chad added.

"So it's settled!" Senna said excitedly.

"Let's get going if we're going." Ishida continued.

"Wait, I'm the leader! And I didn't agree to-"

Senna threw her hand into the air and jumped. "Let's GOOOOOOO!"

Squinting at the lack of respect for his designated position as leader, Renji ran in front of everyone and prepared for his own declaration. "Ahem! I am the leader of this team!" After clearing his throat, he continued, "We are the Ichigo Retrieval Squad! Our goal is to, as the name implies, retrieve Ichigo and bring him home!"

"You'll need to fill us in on the details as we travel." Ishida said, after adjusting his glasses.

"Ishida and Chad, as citizens of Seireitei, I cannot let you join this mission…" the redhead commented.

With his arms now folded, Ishida started walking towards the exit of the execution grounds. "You know there's no way we're not going."

"Let me finish. I can't  _let_  you join this mission, but I can't exactly  _stop_  you from joining us. You'll be going at your own risk. The Arrancar who Ichigo is with is dangerous. I don't put it past him to try killing Ichigo at some point, that's just how dangerous he is. Regardless, I'll do my best to make sure we all return home safely. Ichigo included."

"Hey, Ichigo's headed to the High Palace to get Inoue, right?" Senna asked.

"Yeah."

"Oh this will be so awesome! I've always wanted to go to the palace! Now I kind of hope we don't catch him until he gets there!" the girl said as she bounced up and down eagerly.

Renji turned around and sighed. This was what he had to work with. In his best scenario, Shuhei, Ikkaku, or Yumichika would be on a team with a task like this. But their Reiatsus were all very far off. And he could tell they were dealing with the hawks because they were spiking erratically.

" _Oh well, at least I have Rukia."_  He thought, finding solace in her decision to come with him.

After vowing to himself that he would not fail in his mission, Renji looked straight ahead in the direction Ichigo had fled in. "Okay everyone, let's move out!" he said, and then motioned for them to follow after him with his hand.

* * *

With eyes staring down at his hands as he sat in the sand surrounding the lake, Ichigo sighed heavily at his inability to admit his feelings to Grimmjow. Yeah, he had chickened out. Though, that wasn't the only thing he wanted to tell the man.

Grimmjow had shoved him off before he could get anything out, which cost the courage he'd built up to say anything to him.

Currently, the cerulean-haired Arrancar was swimming around in the shallow lake that was just ahead of Ichigo. He was in the nude.

Ichigo felt his cheeks growing warm when Grimmjow jumped into the air after a fish. "He sure is confident with his body…" he mumbled.

"Kurosaki, I caught it!"

Said boy's brown eyes went wide at that exclamation and he stared in shock as Grimmjow waved his prized fish around in the air. Grimmjow was… trying to impress him…? Make him proud? Or… maybe he was just bragging… That last one seemed the most likely.

After putting the fish between his teeth, Grimmjow hurried out of the water, his feet making splashes with each step he took, and then sat down beside Ichigo.

"You're going to get sand in your ass…" Ichigo said, while looking everywhere but at the man. He didn't want to be caught blushing.

"Are you impressed with my fishing skills?"

"Anyone can catch fish, Grimmjow…"

"Whatever!"

Ichigo turned his attention to Seireitei and he grew quite solemn as he saw the attacks of the captains and vice-captains flying about. "Are you worried?" he asked Grimmjow without looking at him.

"Worried about what?" the bluenette responded as he started eating his fish.

"About Pantera. He and Nel are acting as distractions against the Seireitei captains. If they get caught-"

"You worry too much. Listen, I may never take Pantera with me when I go hunting, but that's because he's such a master at it. He's a master because he's incredibly evasive. So much so that he takes the fun out of everything. While he may lack the strength to fight one of your captains, he won't be caught by one. I can guarantee that. He'll be fine on his own. I'm sure he'll find me eventually. And he won't let any harm come to that gypsy friend of yours, either."

"…"

"By the way, why was there an Espada's number on that girl's back?"

Ichigo's brown eyes widened for a split second in surprise. "That number…?" He subtly leaned back and stared at the '6' tattooed on Grimmjow's lower right backside for a moment. "I don't know… There's actually a lot about Nel that I don't know."

"You sure trust her, though."

"I… I know…"

Grimmjow finished his fish and then wiped his mouth. After getting up, he brushed his rear end off and walked over to where his clothes were lying in the sand.

Ichigo watched in silence as Grimmjow dressed himself. He took note of his tan skin, and especially those muscles that protruded and formed that body he admittedly found to be sexually appealing. His gaze trailed down Grimmjow's backside to his ass and he stared at it until it was covered with underwear.

When those cerulean eyes turned and met his, he felt his heart begin racing a bit faster than usual.

The boy inhaled deeply, then exhaled before speaking. "Grimmjow, I still want to get your arm back for you."

"I'm not going back to that shitty kingdom again. You bring your friend to me." The Arrancar said dismissively.

Ichigo stood up and walked over to Grimmjow, then looked him in the eyes. "No, she's not in the kingdom anymore. She's at the High Palace."

His eyes then looked past the taller man to the palace floating over the mountains at the far western end of the continent. That was where he needed to go to see Inoue again.

"Oh, well that's  _great_. Let's go to the place where your cowardly king hides and take on his Court Guards." Grimmjow said sarcastically.

"It doesn't sound like it'll be easy, but we can do it if we team up. I'm sure the King will let us speak to Inoue if we show him we mean no harm. Plus… I am still a Court Guard."

"Aren't you rogue now, since you helped me escape?"

"No, because I was wearing this." Ichigo said, and then lifted his arms to show off his cloak. He then reached back and lifted the hood on the back of it to show it to the man. Even though his friends had seen him with Grimmjow's Zanpakutō, he was sure they wouldn't turn him in. If anything, they'd probably come after him… which meant they couldn't stay here for long. "Oi, Grimmjow."

"What?"

"The High Palace will take a while to reach. The best estimate is a week for some of the fastest Court Guards in Seireitei. We may make it in that time, give or take a day… probably give… But it should be a straight shot through that forest." The boy said, and then pointed to the forest that was a ways ahead of them. For a moment, he looked around the area. Earthia was much vaster than he originally thought it was. Apart from the greenlands outside Seireitei's gates, he'd never ventured this far before. Especially not to the west. "We can make it, though. We just need to be careful. It's rumored that that forest is where one of the guardians of Earthia lives."

"Heh, you scare so easily. I can smell the fear all over you."

"I do not and I am not afraid! Rushing into the unknown is the surest way to die, that's all I'm thinking right now."

"Pansy." Grimmjow said, and then stuck his hand into his pocket.

"Whatever." Ichigo rolled his eyes. "So, are you going to come with me? Do you want to team up?"

"Yeah, I'll go. But this better work, Court Guard. And don't slow me down."

"What was that?"

Rolling his cerulean eyes, Grimmjow corrected himself. "I mean  _Kurosaki_. This better work."

Ichigo looked down to the sand and felt a little bad. The last time he'd gave his word to Grimmjow, it didn't turn out so well. And he felt even worse about what he'd said to him in the dungeons. He swallowed a mouthful of saliva before he opened his mouth again. "Grimmjow… I'm really sorry for what I said to you in the dungeon… I… I really wanted to tell you…"

Grimmjow turned to Ichigo and raised an eyebrow.

It was enough to make Ichigo go weak in the knees and momentarily forget how to speak. Somehow, every word in his vocabulary vanished as he gazed at the taller man. The thought of uttering those three words to him sent shivers down his spine.

"What the hell do you want to say?"

"N-Nevermind…"

"Then stop wasting time and let's get going! The sooner I get my arm back, the sooner I can get shit back to the way it used to be!"

"… Right…"

When Grimmjow started off towards the forest, Ichigo followed nervously. He felt his stomach turning, but he ignored it. He didn't want things to go back to the way they used to be. He wanted it to be different this time around.

Most importantly, he wanted to admit the feelings he'd been having lately, but he couldn't. That kind of confession would only complicate this journey. And boy did it seem like a lengthy one.

While he watched Grimmjow's cold backside as he walked, he realized that he wouldn't be able to admit his feelings. Even if he managed to get Grimmjow to be more open to people, he knew there was no way the Arrancar would ever feel affectionate towards him.


	28. homey cottage

The sky, painted in various shades of orange, magenta, and blue as the sun set on the horizon in the west, looked unbelievably magnificent.

Ichigo, having decided to take the lead in his and Grimmjow's trip across the Great Plains to the west of Seireitei, became a little wary as he got closer to the dark forest, which was already devoid of light. If he remembered correctly, this forest was named the Phantom Forest, and in Seireitei many stories were told about it.

He couldn't recall every one of the tales Keigo and Mizuiro told about this forest of mysteries back when they were all in high school, but the ones he could only acted as a sort of barrier for him now. As he looked at it, even though he hated to admit it, Grimmjow had been right earlier. He was a little afraid. Afraid of why this place was called the Phantom Forest in the first place, and why it was considered a Forbidden District as well.

There were several Forbidden Districts throughout Earthia, but this one was just the closest to Seireitei, which is how everyone knew about it. The others were a complete mystery to everyone but the captains.

Turning to look over his shoulder, he saw Grimmjow walking not far behind him through the knee-high grass. Behind Grimmjow, and getting further from Ichigo's view, was Seireitei.

At the thought of it, the boy sighed. It wasn't his intention to betray his home the way he did, but he  _had_  to save the man that was following him. He loved him too much to let him die a dog's death. Or to let him die at all.

"What are you staring at?" Grimmjow asked, making Ichigo's cheeks go warm.

"Oh… The sky is darkening in the east and… it's… nice to look at." He replied. It was somewhat truthful. There were a few evening stars twinkling in the eastward sky that created a lovely sight.

Though, Grimmjow was the focus of the boy's attention. The stars were just complimenting him.

It was beauty beyond belief.

When Grimmjow turned and looked back over his shoulder to see the sky, Ichigo took that as his chance and subtly slowed down a bit so they could be closer in proximity as they made their way to the forest. Somehow he had gotten a bit too far ahead of the other man, and now he wanted to be closer to him again.

The moment Grimmjow turned back around, Ichigo quickly did the same. He couldn't be caught staring. That'd only inflate the man's already enormous ego.

Now staring ahead at the Phantom Forest, Ichigo tried preoccupying his mind so he wouldn't be so nervous.

The best thing he could think of was Inoue.

He was still a bit upset that the Head Captain had sent her away from the kingdom. But he was also upset with himself as it was all due to his inability to protect her properly.

Tatsuki was probably upset with him, now that he thought about it.

" _What if the King doesn't let me take her back… or even speak to her…?"_ he thought.

It was true, she would be safer with the King and his court, but still… it just wasn't  _fair_.

This time, things would be different. He would protect her to the best of his ability no matter what the cost.

Plus, he had kind of promised Grimmjow he'd get her to heal his arm. That was an important factor in this journey, and it was probably the only reason Grimmjow had decided to tag along.

His reason for coming was his own, but Ichigo was just glad he was here with him.

Looking over his shoulder again, he saw Grimmjow wearing a look of annoyance on his face.

For some reason, his mind chose this moment to recall the many times he'd slept with the man. It made him turn around to hide his embarrassment.

The thoughts of Grimmjow hovering over him, putting his hands on him, breathing heavily with him, they all came over Ichigo like a cascade of blissful intimacy. Even if Grimmjow didn't consider what they were doing as such, that's exactly what it was. And he would continue to be intimate with the Arrancar, even though he knew it wouldn't lead anywhere.

Because being near him was enough for now.

"So, you're shaking in your shoes, but you're planning to go into this forest even though it's about to be night time where you won't be able to see past your own nose?" Grimmjow's raspy voice sounded from behind, breaking the silence of the evening.

Ichigo slowed his pace, before coming to a complete halt. He turned around and glared at Grimmjow, "You always have to complicate things, don't you? I can see now that making a situation worse is your greatest talent."

Grimmjow stopped as well and considered that for a second before he offered his own opinion, "Nah. I think destroying shit is my greatest talent. Then…" the taller man brought his hand up and held his chin to think even more. "My next greatest would be fucking."

Rolling his eyes, Ichigo turned back to the forest that was up the small hill just ahead of where he stood beside Grimmjow. He hated when the jerk was right, but he did have a point. About the fear, not his talents.

This was nowhere to be lost in at dark. Who knew what could be lurking around in the trees while it was nighttime? There were enough stories among the Court Guards to have him considering going around the forest altogether.

Yes, he was scared. But everyone gets scared sometimes.

"Maybe there're some big spiders hiding in the tree tops waiting to grab you and suck your blood out." Grimmjow taunted after getting closer to the boy.

Ichigo felt a chill go up his spine from the breath that blew against his ear, "Grimmjow…" he breathed out.

"What?"

"Let's go through it."

"You're not scared anymore? That's no fun."

"I have you with me."

"I make you feel safe, huh?"

Ichigo smirked and turned to the taller man, "No, but if there's danger I'll just push you in the way." He teased.

In truth, having Grimmjow at his side  _did_  boost his confidence. And he felt a lot safer, too. All that power he had was now on his side, and that was more than enough to give him the push he needed to do this.

"You are annoying." Grimmjow said, and then backed off from Ichigo a bit.

"And  _you're_  not?"

"Well, I'm not the one always trying to suck face with you. There's obviously  _something_  about me you like. Must be my dick."

Ichigo quickly started walking up the small hill. He didn't know how to respond to that, so he didn't. Plus, he was extremely embarrassed and flushed.  _"Damn him for making me feel like this…!"_

As he got closer to the forest, something off in the distance caught Ichigo's attention, and he slowed down.

It only took Grimmjow a few seconds to catch up to him, and he turned to face him when he did.

After raising an eyebrow at the expression being thrown his way, Grimmjow spoke, "What?"

"You see that building over there?" the boy asked as he pointed off to what he was referring to.

Cerulean eyes followed that path and then stopped at the building. "Yeah, that's-"

"A cottage."

"…You like finishing my sentences, don't you?"

"Yeah, as you said, I'm annoying."

After his remark, Ichigo started walking slowly in the direction of the cottage. Grimmjow followed him closely.

As the sky was darkening and causing the surrounding area to do the same, the forest suddenly came alive with tiny lights floating about. Some were fireflies, others were not. The ones that weren't looked like they were just bursts of energy flowing in whichever direction the wind took them, dragging a trail of light behind them as they went. It was both magical and beautiful at the same time.

Ichigo stopped when he reached the cottage, and then saw that it was a bit old. Like no one had lived here for a while. But despite how old it seemed it was very inviting. The bricks it was made from were a light beige color, and the roof was covered in dark red, tiled shingles.

This cottage just so happened to be right outside the forest and it only had a few trees behind it.

It was the perfect place to spend the night. They could go through the forest tomorrow morning when there'd be a bit more light to guide them.

Just as he made for the door, Grimmjow grabbed him by his right shoulder and stepped in front of him protectively.

"What are you doing?" he asked when he saw the larger man drawing his sword, "Grimmjow…?"

"I'm gonna check the place out. Could be crawling with beasts, and I can't have you dying on me… At least, not until I get my arm back. Besides, the only one allowed to kill you is me." Said man replied.

With a grin on his face, Ichigo removed the hand from his shoulder. "It's fine. Weren't you the one saying I was scared? Look who's… scared…" he couldn't finish his sentence because he had leaned forward to look Grimmjow in the face. When he did, he blushed and his eye lids grew heavy from desire.

Grimmjow looked so damned cool with that serious look on his face against the evening sky.

Something started rustling in the trees behind the cottage, causing both him and Grimmjow to jump.

Ichigo took a step back when whatever it was started making more noises in the trees.

"Grimmjow…"

"Step back."

Drawing his Zanpakutō, the Arrancar prepared to kill whatever this creature was.

Unexpectedly, a large swan shot out from the trees into the sky, and then took off further over the forest.

Ichigo sighed a breath of relief and looked at Grimmjow, "That was a surprise." He said, still feeling his heart nearly jumping out from his chest.

"Yeah." The man replied, and then sheathed his weapon.

The two of them wasted no time and entered the cottage, both ready to find shelter for the night.

"This place is so old." Ichigo said as he turned on a light.

Then he realized that it must not have been that old, considering it had electricity. The power supply must have been coming from somewhere, but he wasn't exactly concerned with that at the moment.

"Hello?!" he called, hoping for a response.

No reply came to him. That's when he decided to investigate the place.

While he started looking around the living room, Grimmjow went much further inside.

"Grimmjow!" he called.

"What?! Can't you be alone for two minutes without me?" the man's voice came from one of the other rooms.

Ichigo followed the direction his voice had come from. It was the kitchen. When he entered and noticed that Grimmjow was looking through the cabinets, he raised an eyebrow, "Are you hungry?" he asked.

"Mind your own business."

"… You know, you don't have to be such a jerk to me! After all, I don't have to be helping you get your arm back. So try to be more cooperative and agreeable."

"…"

"Look, there's food in this pantry." He continued as he opened the pantry closest to him, "I can try making something out of it for us."

"… Yeah, sounds good."

Ichigo was shocked almost to the point of speechlessness at that response. He had to stand and stare at Grimmjow for a moment, only to be met with rolling blue eyes. "O-okay. If you can, go hunt for some meat. There's rice in here too, and cans of what looks like a broth. I can make a stew if you'd like."

" _If_  I can? Heh, don't underestimate me, Kurosaki."

"Well, then you go take care of that. I'll start cooking and checking out the rest of this place."

"Don't die while I'm gone." Grimmjow said, and then walked out of the kitchen.

When he heard the front door close, Ichigo sighed. Yelling the way he had at Grimmjow just now was risky. It ran the chance of the man telling him forget the deal and then leaving him forever. But luckily, Grimmjow was obsessed with power. So this confirmed for him that he would be able to stay with the man  _at least_  until they found Inoue and got him his arm back.

Pulling the cans of broth and the container of rice out of the pantry, he walked over to the stove and put them down on the counter beside it.

For a moment, Ichigo took a chance to look around the kitchen. Even though it obviously hadn't been used in a long time, it was still very nice and cozy. It made him wonder what the other rooms looked like.  _"I'll have to check them out after I start this stew."_

After flipping the stove on, he reached up into the cabinet and grabbed a few pots. One was for cooking the stew, another for the rice, and the last for cooking whatever meat Grimmjow brought back.

Cooking was never his strongest feat, but he'd been around Yuzu enough to know what to do. So he started cooking… and waiting for Grimmjow to return.

…

"Kurosaki!"

Ichigo looked up from the fire he'd started in the fireplace and over to the foyer where Grimmjow was entering the cottage from. "I'm in the living room." He replied.

Grimmjow entered the living room with a large, dead bird under his arm.

"You ready to fix this?"

"Yeah."

Getting up from his seat on the floor, Ichigo walked over to the taller man and took the bird from him, and then headed into the kitchen. His timing was perfect because the rice was boiling and the broth was also warming.

" _Hope I don't screw this up…"_  he thought.

…

"Here you go."

Grimmjow took the bowl of stew he was being offered and then started eating it.

Ichigo stood patiently, watching as the man downed his food.

"What? What do you want?" the bluenette asked when he noticed the boy had not left.

"Is it… is it good? Do you like it?"

"It's fine. Nothing I'm used to, but it'll do."

"… Okay."

Instead of arguing, Ichigo simply turned and went back into the kitchen. He was sure that was the best answer he would get from Grimmjow. In fact, it may have been his way of paying compliment to the food he'd been given.

About forty minutes later, after he had eaten and cleaned the kitchen, Ichigo found his way into the bathroom upstairs. And he decided to take a hot bath. There was a window just above the tub, and it gave him a nice view of the night sky. Particularly the moon.

At one point in his life, he'd heard that making a wish on the moon would help it come true.

Of course, he didn't believe in such nonsense. But… there was something he did want. And he wanted it really, really badly. So, he wished for it with every fiber of his being, putting his doubts about this act aside. Because when you want something to that extent, the universe will help you get it.

When he finished bathing, he got out of the bath tub and dried off, then put on his clothes again. It defeated the purpose of bathing, but hey, it was better than just skipping out on a bath.

While still drying his hair, he walked downstairs into the living room. There, he saw Grimmjow seated in front of the fireplace and watching the flames dance their destructive dance on the firewood.

"Are you going to take a bath?" he asked the man.

"Nope." Was his simple reply.

"You should. It'll help you relax."

"I'm fine."

Inwardly sighing, Ichigo walked over to Grimmjow and took a seat on the floor beside him. He wanted to stare, but something stopped him. Perhaps it was his desire to keep his emotions locked inside his heart where they belonged. Or the thought of inflating Grimmjow's conceit. Both seemed like good enough reasons.

Whatever it was, it did not stop him from opening his mouth and articulating the name that racked his brain like thunder in a heavy storm. "Grimmjow…"

"What?"

Unsure of why he had called the other, Ichigo continued to speak on impulse, "Do you hate people?" he asked.

"That's a stupid question." Grimmjow scoffed and turned to the fire.

"… Well… do you hate me?"

The cerulean-haired man turned his attention back to Ichigo, and stared at him without blinking.

There was a silence. The sound of the flames crackling and the firewood crumbling filled the room to deafening extremes for Ichigo. Afraid of the answer he'd most likely get, and unable to let the man say it, he shook his head. "No, don't answer that. It… it doesn't matter."

"Why do you care so much about what I feel?"

Ichigo took a moment to appreciate that Grimmjow hadn't just shoved him off and, ironically, seemed like he was interested in his feelings. After thinking over a thousand responses, he simply gave his honest answer, "I… I'm just that kind of person, I guess."

Moving closer to Grimmjow, he cautiously took his stub of a left arm into his hands and then observed it. He was amazed that this man could be alive after everything he'd seen him go through. But he was an Arrancar. Since his knowledge of them was quite limited, he had no choice but to let that be the explanation for the miracle of Grimmjow still being alive.

With his fingers pressed against the warm skin, he couldn't help but want to pull Grimmjow closer… and…

Taking a chance to look up from under his bangs, Ichigo saw those blue eyes on him, staring at him without emotion as they usually did. He blushed, but did not release the arm in his grasp.

In fact, he moved even further into the larger man's personal space bubble.

He was so close now that he felt each small breath that escaped from Grimmjow's nose as he exhaled.

Their noses were nearly touching. The erection in his pants had Ichigo nervous, but he even so, he couldn't help but wonder if Grimmjow was also getting a rise out of this moment. He wanted to reach down and find out, but there was something more important that he wanted to attempt to do.

"… Grimmjow… I…"

Said man's expression did not change. Ichigo faltered at the last minute, "I'm glad you came with me. We can make it through this journey together, I just know it. And I'll get your arm back for you, I promise."

It was not exactly what he wanted to say, but that's what came out. What he really wanted to say was how much he loved Grimmjow. To admit just how much he cared and wanted to protect him. All the things he wanted to confess burned the edge of his tongue like the liquid nitrogen he'd seen in Captain Kurotsuchi's lab a long time ago, but he would not let them out.

There was so, so much he  _wanted_  to say, but couldn't.

The time was not right for something like that.

Grimmjow surprised Ichigo when he pulled away and then replied to his statement. "I'll sleep on the couch. You can take the bed." He said emotionlessly.

Ichigo watched as he got up and headed over to the couch, holding his stubbed arm protectively. He then laid down on it and closed his eyes.

With a sigh, he also got up. Grimmjow's back was turned to him as he left the living room.

Yes, it was more apparent now than it had been before that this Arrancar was emotionally secluding himself from the rest of the world.

But even so, as he entered the bedroom upstairs and laid down on the warm bed, Ichigo realized that, just like the moonlight flooding in through the wooden blinds on the window, there was a small glimmer of hope that he could one day change. And that glimmer was a blue-eyed, gray-furred panther named Pantera.

If Grimmjow truly was incapable of connecting with another living creature, then he would not have allowed Pantera into his life at all.

Pulling the sheets up over himself, he somehow felt like he was at home. This cottage, Grimmjow, the meal he'd managed to cook without ruining it, it all gave him a warm feeling. And even in spite of his having been shut out from Grimmjow's emotional side for the umpteenth time, he fell asleep that night with a new hope in his heart that they could one day be together.


	29. forest sprites and enlightenment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I've divided this story up into arcs. Previously, we've had the Los Noches Captivity Arc (ch. 01-09), the GrimmjowIchigo Reunion Arc (ch. 10-14), the Desert Adventure Arc (ch. 15-21), the Seireitei Entrance and Exit Arc (ch. 22-26), and now we've entered the Collection Arc (ch. 27-unknown). There will be more to come after the Collection Arc has finished, of course. But it may be the longest arc as you may have guessed.

Ichigo yawned and stretched in the bed he'd slept in, and then looked at the window to see the sunlight creeping in through the thick, wooden blinds. He slowly sat up and looked around the bedroom.

It was fairly empty. And now he was paying attention to it more closely than he had last night. Thankfully nothing seemed suspicious.

The furniture was nice and old, and it reminded him of the bed and dresser he used to have in his room as a child.

Those were definitely simpler times…

" _Mom… are you watching over me?"_  he thought.

He had gotten over her death as soon as a young child possibly could have. And he'd done it for his younger sisters and father. Though they never knew it, they all needed him to be their pillar of support. Even though his father would never admit it, Ichigo recalled many nights when he had walked past his room and heard him talking in his sleep, or even worse, crying in his sleep, about Masaki.

The only thing that got him over her death was the fact that she had moved on to a better place.

"How was it that two people as different as you and dad got together…?" he wondered.

Now he was just being weird. Asking that would earn no answer because she was not here to tell him.

But he wanted to know because it may have given him some guidance about his own situation.

"Grimmjow…" he mumbled.

His brown eyes went wide and he quickly threw back the sheets, before hurrying out of the bedroom and down the stairs.

He found Grimmjow still sleeping on the couch. But he was no longer turned with his back facing the world. Instead, he was sleeping  _on_  his back.

Ichigo sighed and calmed himself down a bit. He realized now that he was being foolish. Of course Grimmjow would still be here. After all, he wanted his arm back.

For a moment, he wondered how he should wake the man. He could be rude and flip him off the couch, or bang some pots together… But when he saw how peaceful he looked, Ichigo smiled and walked over to the couch.

Kneeling down, he moved close to Grimmjow and then pressed his lips against his forehead; a loving gesture, which was something he probably didn't receive very often, if ever. He kept his lips there for a while, but pulled away when the man started stirring.

"Good morning, Grimmjow." He said when those cerulean eyes opened and met his.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm getting ready to head out. You haven't chickened out, have you? Still coming?" Carefully, he lifted his hand and used it to push Grimmjow's stray bangs out of his face.

"Of course." The man replied, and then sat up.

Ichigo stood up and waited while Grimmjow stretched and cracked his neck.

After they were both ready and situated, the two of them headed over to the front door. With a final glance at the interior of the cottage, they exited and were out into the morning air.

Grimmjow walked on ahead to the forest's entrance, but Ichigo turned back to the cottage and bowed to it. It was just his way of showing respect for it having given them shelter for a night. Who knew where they'd be sleeping once they entered the forest…

Without hesitation, he hurried after Grimmjow when he turned around and saw him waiting with his hand in his pocket.

* * *

As the duo walked through the forest, it was Ichigo who had to turn and wait for Grimmjow to catch up with him.

While he waited, he couldn't help but take in how bright their surroundings were, since it was morning. But there were so many trees around that he could hardly see the place that they'd entered from anymore.

Those tiny lights were still floating around aimlessly, and he could tell there weren't any fireflies among them this time. Even though he didn't know what they were, he still thought they were an astonishing sight. Already, he was beginning to feel like embarking on this journey was the right thing to do. He never would have experienced anything like this if he'd just stayed in Seireitei and not saved Grimmjow.

Speaking of Grimmjow, he had finally caught up after taking his sweet time walking up the dirt road they'd been following.

"You sure aren't in any hurry to get through this forest." The orange-haired boy commented while looking over at the taller man.

"Shut up. I'm observing my surroundings."

"You're  _scared_? That's the only reason someone looks as wary as you do right now."

"I just told you to shut up."

Ichigo folded his arms before retorting, "I'm not taking orders from you anymore. That's not how we're going to operate ever again." He said.

Without warning, Grimmjow pushed him out of the way and dashed a few feet ahead, then fired a Cero up through the trees.

"Wh-what the hell, Grimmjow!?"

"Keep your guard up, baka. We're not alone…" said man replied as he shifted his bright eyes around the treetops to spot whatever it was that had been watching them.

"No, no you're not." A young woman's voice called out.

Ichigo gasped and hurried ahead to where Grimmjow was, then unsheathed Zangetsu a little. His heart was racing, but just in front of him, Grimmjow seemed calm and collected. It helped him calm down a little as well.

Suddenly, the treetops all around them started rustling, and there were a few giggles echoing in the air. The wind started blowing, and it seemed as if the whole forest was shifting. Ichigo nearly fell down from the spinning-

"Tch! Show yourselves and stop hiding like cowards!" Grimmjow shouted.

Ichigo quickly caught a grip on his surroundings again, and started breathing heavy breaths to calm himself. How could Grimmjow be so calm through all of this?

All at once, the giggling stopped and the creatures slowly revealed themselves. As Ichigo looked up at them, he noticed they were great in number. There were twenty of them. And coincidentally, they all looked about that age, with a few exceptions that looked younger.

"Forest sprites…" he said quietly as he regulated his breathing.

Forest sprites were dangerous, troublesome creatures that he only thought existed in old storybooks and fairytales. From what he recalled, they were about half the size of humans. Though originally, they were so small they could be held in the palm of one's hand. Something changed them as it had with the many other gargantuan creatures that roamed Earthia.

"Such brave travelers to come into this forest alone." One of them said.

"Yet just like the other two who passed through here, you two seem to be lacking in malevolent desires. Unlike the human male who entered our forest a few days ago..." Another continued.

One with dirty-blonde hair and a glitter-like substance running across her face jumped down and walked up behind Ichigo. "He smells… of the kingdom!" she said after sniffing him.

"Just like that girl and fast woman she was with. Why are you kingdom dwellers continuing to venture into our forest?" the largest one asked.

Ichigo sheathed his sword completely, and then stepped away from the sprite that was sniffing him. "We mean you no harm. We only want to find the girl you were referring to. Can you please guide us in the direction she went?"

A woman, who was the same size as he and Grimmjow were, suddenly emerged from the shadows casted by the trees. Her hair was violet, she was wearing an eyepatch, and she had a skull with two bones just sitting above her forehead. Unlike the forest sprites, she was wearing dark clothes, mostly black. When she came into the sunlight beaming down through the trees, she stared at Ichigo for a moment. Then she turned to Grimmjow and stared at him for a long time. "Follow me to the Inner Sanctum and I shall enlighten you." She said, and then started walking away from the dirt road that Ichigo and Grimmjow had been following.

That was all Ichigo needed to hear. He nodded and followed her, but then stopped and turned when he realized Grimmjow wasn't behind him.

When he saw the sprites leading Grimmjow through a wall of giant leaves in the other direction, he grew curious about what they wanted with him, and more curious about why he was allowing them to take him.

"Don't worry about that. The girls will take good care of him." The violet-haired woman said over her shoulder, and then continued on her way.

Ichigo waited for Grimmjow to disappear behind the wall of leaves before he turned and continued following this mysterious woman.

* * *

Now sitting in front of a lake and surrounded by those floating lights, Ichigo took note of this Inner Sanctum. There were old columns all around the other side of this lake. Some were old and broken, others were still standing. There were also rose bushes growing all around. It was definitely a special location.

He looked over to the woman who had led him here, and then waited for her to begin "enlightening" him.

From the silence, he could tell the entire area was very calm. And when he listened hard enough, he could have sworn he heard some kind of music echoing on the gentle winds passing through.

"Are you listening to the melody of the forest?" the woman asked, and then walked over and took a seat in front of the boy.

"Melody of the forest?" Ichigo asked curiously.

"Yes. Only those with the purest hearts can hear it. And I saw you struggling to listen. The fact that you're hearing anything at all says a lot about you."

"That sounds like some kind of fantasy…"

"Well, you can believe it or not. But if you were to search every inch of this forest, you'd never find anyone singing or anything playing the music. It's a spiritual melody you're hearing."

"Enough with this melody stuff. I don't want to be rude, but you said you'd enlighten me, didn't you? I'm looking for my friend. She passed through here I'm sure, and I need directions out of this forest so I can find her." Ichigo said abruptly.

"Very well. Let me introduce myself. I am Katen." The woman paused for a moment to see the boy's reaction, "Judging from the expression that just found its way to your face, you know who I am. Or,  _what_  I am."

"You're… Captain Kyōraku's Zanpakutō!"

"That's partially true. I am a  _copy_  of Shunsui Kyōraku's Zanpakutō. I'm half of a whole, which, combined with another spirit, make up the Guardians of the Forest Temple."

"Th-that's right! He wields two blades when he fights. So, there's another one of you, right?"

"Indeed…"

"Where is she? Or… he…?"

"My partner, Kyokotsu, is… resting where we live. She was wounded recently in an attack, and so she needs to be off her feet for a while." Katen said, looking out to the glowing lake as she spoke.

"What happened?"

"I'd prefer not to discuss it…"

"Okay… I won't pry then. But this is now puzzling me. Why are there Zanpakutō spirit copies here in the forest… and guarding the… temple…?"

Katen turned back to Ichigo. "Because each temple and temple region spread across Earthia is guarded by a Zanpakutō spirit copy, as by order of your king. We were named the Guardians of Earthia."

Ichigo was surprised to hear that. He had no idea such an order existed, nor did he know about these temples. But then again, he was only recently promoted to Substitute Court Guard. There were probably a lot of things only the higher-ups knew that he didn't.

"Even though there are Guardians at every temple, let me assure you that not all temple  _regions_  have a Guardian."

"Regions?"

"Yes. The area surrounding the temple. In some cases, it may be populated with humans or… other beings... In other cases, it may not. Basically, we Guardians are assigned to an area that would enhance our abilities in battle. A Zanpakutō copy that deals with snow or ice would be more effective in a cold and frigid area. On the other hand, a Zanpakutō copy that deals with lava or fire would be more effective in a warm and torrid area. It is all about helping us be more efficient while we defend our temples. But not all temple regions have guardians, just so you know."

"What are you all defending them from? Who is attacking them, and why are they so important?" Ichigo asked.

"They contain the crystals of a certain anti-measure weapon." Katen replied.

"An anti-measure weapon?"

"Yes. Let me start at the beginning of this world so you will understand…" the woman said, "In ancient times, there existed two races: the Earthians and the Skifenians. The Earthians lived here on the ground, and continue to presently. The Skifenians, on the other hand, lived in the sky. Up there, a kingdom of great magnitude existed in the clouds and they lived peacefully there. The Skifenians were gifted with the knowledge of the universe and were even suspected of coming from another planet."

"I've heard of something like this. A friend of mine told me about it while I was training with him and his comrades. They could use Skifenian power, just like me."

"That's good. Then you must have heard about the incident where Earthians found their way up to the kingdom of Skifenia, right?"

"Yeah. And there were Skifenians who descended down to Earthia to study its people as a result. I think that may have been how my mother and father met. Well…  _eventually_  things led there. This all happened decades ago apparently, so my mother must have been born to the Skifenians here on Earthia who wanted to keep the Skifenian bloodline pure…" the boy said, and then tried figuring out the timeline of the races' history in his head.

Katen moved closer to Ichigo and inspected him. "A mixed breed, then? That's interesting. I'd heard you were very few in number. Well… those of you created  _naturally_ … "

"What does that mean?"

"Nothing... Let me get back to my explanation."

"A-alright..."

"So as you know, the Earthians were the first to break barriers between the races, and then landed on Skifenian soil. Or cloud, I guess… This, in turn, made the Skifenians want to learn more about them. So a great number of them descended here to Earthia to study the people who lived here. But this caused a great amount of mixed-blooded offspring to arise, because the two races were falling in love with each other. Although, as you said, there were some who remained true to their race and only reproduced with their own kind. That seems exactly how your mother was born. But she must have met your father, who is Earthian, right?"

"Right."

"Well, she must have met him and fell for him somehow. And that appears to be how you were born."

"But... what does this have to do with an anti-measure… oh…" Ichigo said. He realized now what it all meant.

"At some point, the radical priests of the sky grew afraid of their race dying out through dilution of their pure blood, and even more afraid of the Earthians who wanted so badly to visit their kingdom. So they came together and decided it was forbidden for the study of the Earthians to continue. They abandoned their own kind who had descended for that reason, and then produced a weapon capable of destroying an entire continent with celestial energy. The Earthians were struck with fear. The people in the sky were willing to abandon their own kind who had mingled with them, so they figured the Skifenians would have no problem eradicating them from the universe. They then prayed to the land, and were blessed with a weapon that could counter the Skifenian weapon. It is in parts, which are the crystals that reside in the Earthian temples. Thus, this anti-measure weapon helped keep the feigned peace and balance between the two races, but it ultimately provided insurance that if the Skifenians ever attacked, the Earthians wouldn't be defenseless against them."

"I never heard that last part before… I don't think many people know about this, actually."

"That's right. Race has become little more than a word to your kind over the past few decades. And that is how it should be. Though I must say, the majority of you are Earhtian and there are a few who are Skifenian, like your king. Some exist who are mixed breeds, like you. If I'm correct, that princess was…"

"Huh? What was that last part?"

Katen threw her hands up. "Nothing. I was thinking out loud."

"…Right… So anyway, are you and the other copy of Captain Kyōraku's Zanpakutō both guardians of the Forest temple?"

"No, there is another. He is a copy of Kyouka Suigetsu. You see, the forest temple is surrounded by a lake, so he was chosen to guard it. We only protect the region surrounding the temple, the forest."

"I see… Hey, isn't Kyouka Suigetsu… isn't that Aizen's Zanpakutō?"

"Indeed. But there's no need for you to concern yourself with him. Let's figure out what you'll do from his point on. For I believe it is you who will summon the power from Earthia that is the anti-measure weapon."

An orange eyebrow rose. "Me? Why me?"

"Because the crystals will get you into the King's palace. They'll be the proof of your power and goodwill to this land, which will make him listen to you. And you want him to hear your voice so you can retrieve the girl, don't you?"

"Y-yes! Tell me how to assemble it, please!"

"Right. I honestly believe you will be the one to save us, so let me give you as much information as I can." Katen said, before pausing. She observed Ichigo's determined expression and began fully trusting that she could pass this valuable information on to him. "There are ten other temples you'll need to visit. The temple of light, darkness, volcano, ice cavern, jungle, island archipelago, lightning cloud, deep sea, earth crater, and wind valley. There is a desert temple, but that is where the Skifenian weapon lies dormant. So disregard it for now. Do you understand why these temples are located where they are?"

"No… I'm sorry."

"It is because that is where the original Guardians resided who helped the people of Earthia create a means of defending themselves. So their power remains in their homes to this day, while they have moved on to the next world."

"…But, how could there be ones who lived in light and darkness?"

"Day and night. That is the reason for those two. The Guardian of light observed that he was more powerful during the day, while the Guardian of darkness observed that he was more powerful at night. All of the Guardians' powers will aid you, mixed breed. I'm telling you this because you'll need to collect the means to withstand that Skifenian weapon in order to save Earthia from the one who wishes to awaken it. It is also part of your goals to collect these crystals, right? For the princ- for the girl?"

"Yes. I guess it's a good thing I ran into you, Katen-san." Ichigo said, then leaned forward. "But… do you know who the person is who's trying to awaken the Skifenian weapon?" he whispered.

Who would be willing to break the newly established peace on Earthia? And what were they after?

"Do not concern yourself with that. Just collect the crystals and you will be fine, I can assure you."

"Gotcha… So does the forest temple contain a crystal? You didn't mention that one." Ichigo said.

Katen remained quiet for a moment. After she put her hand on her chest above her heart, she looked Ichigo in the eyes. "No, it does not."

"That's a relief, then."

"…I suppose it is... Mixed-blooded child-"

"Please, call me Ichigo."

Katen was taken aback for a moment, but smiled anyway. "Okay. Ichigo, you should be advised that the Guardians will not let you enter the temple and take their crystal so easily. They will put a trial before you, which may be one of many that include either defeating them or persuading them to let you take the crystal. The trial itself depends on the Spirit you're faced with. If you are successful and obtain the crystals, you can enter the High Palace and the king will hear your request. And when that time comes, you'll know what to do from there."

"How?"

"I don't know! An ancient maiden from Skifenia will take you up to the kingdom in the sky and train you!"

"R- really?! That sounds amazing…"

"I seriously don't know. I was just guessing. …Sheesh, learn to recognize sarcasm when you hear it… Anyway, I've never seen all the crystals collected in the same spot before, so I don't really know what will happen."

"Oh… Well, I guess all there is left for me to do is to get them!" Ichigo said confidently. This was the only way to reach Inoue, so it seemed, so he was going to do it. After all, it was his fault that she'd been taken away. It only seemed logical that he be the one to prove his strength to the king and bring her home to Seireitei.

"I like your spunk, kid." Katen said sincerely, "You may just be able to accomplish this task… and save us all… I wish you the best of luck in your travels."

"Thank you, Katen-san. I'll definitely succeed."

And with that, he got up and was off to retrieve Grimmjow so they could begin their collection.

* * *

After finding his way back to the dirt road where he and Grimmjow had unintentionally parted ways, Ichigo looked around to try remembering where those forest sprites had led the man.

"It was somewhere behind a wall of leaves…"

It was nearing evening time now. Things were not as bright as they had been when he first went with Katen to the Inner Sanctum. He couldn't really see any walls of leaves now.

Suddenly, a few of those floating lights started forming a path in front of him. He smiled when he saw they were leading him to the place he was looking for.

"Thank you!" he shouted to them as he ran over to the entrance hidden beneath the leaves.

They dispersed when he reached it, and he turned to the wall. He was very eager to see Grimmjow so they could continue on this journey of theirs. Now he knew they would be traveling for a long time, which meant he could possibly get Grimmjow to fall in love with him.

Reaching out, he pulled the leaves back and was met with a narrow passageway where the walls were coated in dark vines.

At the end of this passageway, he could see many more lights floating around. With a smile, he hurried down the path, and then when he stepped out of it, he found himself in a bright area with a small pond at its center.

The forest sprites were all running around and playing with each other. It was a quaint and magical little hideaway they had here.

When he looked around and spotted Grimmjow, Ichigo's heart nearly came out from his chest.

Grimmjow was lying on his back, with two forest sprites sitting beside him, and having sex with a third one. She had her arms wrapped around his neck, and her lips were pressed against the skin behind his ear. With each moan she let out, he felt himself growing more and more broken-hearted.

From over the sprite's shoulder, his eyes met Grimmjow's, and he turned away. It hurt. Seeing him with someone else. It really hurt. Almost to the point where he cried.

But he was a man. He had to be strong and hide it all. Plus, he knew Grimmjow would never love him back, so this kind of betrayal… no, that wasn't even what this was. What this was was Grimmjow being Grimmjow. Simple as that. This didn't surprise him because it wasn't like Grimmjow had ever promised they'd be together, or even anything remotely similar to that. It was all in his head. It was all  _his_  feelings. So he knowingly brought all the risks of falling for someone like him upon himself.

And now he was paying for it.

He turned and started to leave, but there was a forest sprite approaching him from the way he had entered through.

She came over to him and took him by the wrist, then led him off to a secluded area.

"What's going on?" he asked her when they were alone.

With lust in her eyes, the sprite smiled up at Ichigo and got closer to him. "Won't you use me to your heart's content, handsome human?" she asked in response, and then started undressing him.

Ichigo quickly stepped back and adjusted his clothes so they were proper again, "No. I'm not the same as  _him_ …" he said.

Taking note of this orange-haired human's downcast expression as he looked back the way they'd come from, the sprite decided to get involved in this situation. "Does that make you jealous? Seeing him with another?"

"W-what?! …No!"

"I don't believe you. Tell me, do you care for him?"

"… Of course. I owe him his left arm. I promised I'd get it healed for him, so I brought him with me on our trip."

"Is that the only reason you travel with him?"

"Huh?"

"Does that creature make you feel safe? Does he protect you? Does he love you?"

"N-no. No to all of those questions…"

"You're hesitant. Unsure. I can see through that façade of yours. You feel very strongly about him, but perhaps you don't know it yourself. Or maybe you do. But someday, when the time is right, I'm sure you'll tell him. And I hope he returns those feelings of yours wholeheartedly."

"No, he's far too selfish and hateful for that." Ichigo said, and then sighed.

"So you admit it!"

"I-" with red cheeks, Ichigo turned and left her standing there with that accomplished grin on her face.

Tricked by a forest sprite…

When Grimmjow saw Ichigo hurriedly heading for the exit with an embarrassed expression on his face, he quickly sat up and pushed the sprite off of him. He couldn't let him get too far, otherwise, he'd likely never get his arm back.

After pulling up his pants and buttoning them, he rushed out of the sprites' hideaway after the boy.

"Why didn't you get with one of those sprites?" Ichigo heard Grimmjow ask as he came after him.

Ignoring the man, he kept walking. In fact, he sped up so he wouldn't have to deal with his feelings, or the man who caused them. That's when he was snatched by his arm and forced to look Grimmjow in the face. He could see that somewhere inside, Grimmjow was angry. He had the audacity.

Grimmjow pulled him close and then continued. "Answer me when I'm talking to you."

Ichigo snatched himself free and started walking again. "I don't take orders from you. Let's keep moving,  _Arrancar_. I have important things to do." He said over his shoulder as coldly as possible.


	30. whispers of death

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: There will be a lot of OCs, and I do mean a lot, to come during the Collection Arc. I'm just letting you all know in advance.

Without having said a word to each other since their encounter with Katen and the forest sprites, Ichigo and Grimmjow continued to make their way through the vast forest expanse. The silence between them was primarily due to Ichigo's frustration about what had transpired a few hours ago between him and Grimmjow. Thanks to that, he had avoided saying anything to him, or even looking at him.

And that was because he still felt incredibly hurt by it.

Grimmjow was a few feet behind him, and Ichigo honestly felt like he could just leave him for what he had done. It was like he was trying to make him jealous of that forest sprite. After all, the two of them hadn't laid together in days.

" _Maybe he doesn't even want me physically anymore…"_  the boy thought with an almost heartbroken expression on his face. That was the only thing acting as the tether between them, so if it was gone, what did they have now?

How far he had come from the first time Grimmjow had laid hands on him... In the beginning, he hated the thought of having sex with the man. Now he'd developed to the point where he practically wanted it.

Practically.

With a sigh, he realized he wasn't used to any of what he'd been experiencing lately. All the  _feelings_  and  _emotions_... During high school, Court Guard training, and even after he became certified as a Substitute, he managed to get by without being romantically invested in anyone. That included Senna, and even Inoue, who he imagined he could marry one day.

It was a simple life, and he was perfectly fine with it.

Romance wasn't ever something he thought he needed, and now that he was getting a taste of it, a bad taste at that, mind you, he wasn't so sure he wanted it.

But even so, he  _did_  want Grimmjow. Pretty badly at that.

It was all so confusing.

No wonder he'd avoided this for so long…

Subtly taking a look over his shoulder, he saw that Grimmjow was still a ways behind him, looking bored and incredibly uninterested as he walked.

" _How could he have done that…? …Do I really… am I really upset about it…? …I guess… I guess I thought I_ meant _something to him… How stupid of me… Maybe I just wanted him to feel… I don't know…"_

The thought of him with that sprite… the fact that he had looked directly at him while he was with her… it was so provocative.

For a second, he considered stopping and taking a break to talk to Zangetsu. But the last thing he wanted was to deal with the storm that was most likely raging in his inner world, or the old man's irritation with it, so he decided against it.

" _He's going to betray you eventually…"_ a voice echoed lowly.

Ichigo stopped abruptly and started looking around to figure out where that voice had come from.

When Grimmjow reached him, he stopped and stared at the boy as if he was crazy.

"Did you just say something to me?" Ichigo asked, the first thing he'd said to him since their small argument earlier.

The bluenette rolled his eyes. "If I said something to you, you'd know it."

After squinting at Grimmjow for his response, Ichigo looked around some more for any sign of movement. He considered that maybe the forest sprites were being troublesome, and it was just one of them taunting him.

He kept looking around, but couldn't find the source of where the voice had come from.

" _Maybe I was just imagining it…"_  he thought.

Giving up on his search, he put his hand on the hilt of his Zanpakutō and then started walking again, but much more slowly this time so he could observe his surroundings.

Grimmjow wasn't far behind him anymore, and he kind of wanted to stop and ask him about why he did what he did. Walking around with this pain in his heart wasn't exactly easy, after all.

And it was then that he realized just how much he loved Grimmjow. If it was just love where he wanted to keep him safe, he wouldn't be plagued by these emotions. He wouldn't have felt anything when he saw him having sex with that sprite. But he had.

So no, he didn't just love Grimmjow, he was deeply  _in_  love with him.

That realization hit him pretty hard, and for a while, it was the only thing that echoed in his mind. It needed to be processed and reprocessed, because Grimmjow wasn't exactly the best person he could feel this way about.

The deafening silence of the surrounding area slowly vanished because of the crickets that started chirping and the sounds of owls hooting.

Ichigo slowed his pace on the road to try getting closer to Grimmjow, but he still felt too hurt to try having a civilized conversation with him. Sure, he'd calmed down a bit, but not to where he felt like he wouldn't punch the man in his face.

He definitely wasn't used to this. Never before had he been in a relationship, so he never imagined emotions like these could be so overwhelming. Not that he and Grimmjow were in a relationship… the feelings were just there to torment him at every waking moment.

" _Turn back now and abandon him before it's too late."_  The same voice from earlier said.

Shaking his head, Ichigo continued on his way up the road, figuring he was just hearing things again. The forest was just playing tricks on him.

" _Your blood will be spilled at his feet, and you will die, completely betrayed, confused, and in pure agony."_

Ichigo stopped dead in his tracks and his brown eyes shifted all around to spot any kind of movement, but there was nothing to see. The darkening sky didn't make the situation any better.

Grimmjow rolled his eyes and passed the boy completely. It was time he took the lead, anyway.

And as he walked, he couldn't help but notice the little things. Birds flying about in the sky, sunlight from the setting sun shining in through the trees ahead of him, annoying mosquitoes buzzing in his ear… The floating lights he'd seen earlier were back now, and just as irritating as ever. The kept following him, he knew that because he kept looking over his shoulder to make sure Kurosaki hadn't died somehow.

"Stop wasting time. We need to find our way out of this forest. I'm already sick of this place." He said, looking back at Ichigo, who was walking slowly and holding on to the hilt of his Zanpakutō.

When he turned and looked ahead again, his cerulean eyes went wide and he held his breath.

Bathed in the golden sunlight, he was shown an image of Kurosaki running him through with his ebony sword.

It was enough to make him come to a complete halt and feel himself shaking a bit from anger and confusion. He swallowed a mouthful of saliva and turned around to face Ichigo, who looked at him confusedly when he did.

" _He's going to turn you over to his king."_ A voice echoed on the wind.

"What the hell?!" he shouted, and looked around for whoever it was mocking him with this foolish bullshit.

"Grimmjow? What's wrong?" Ichigo asked.

" _He's only using you as an excuse to get the girl back. Once she's in his grasp, your fate is sealed…"_

Grimmjow gritted his teeth as he stared at Ichigo. Then, without even realizing it, he flashed them at him, causing the boy to come to a complete stop and raised his eyebrows.

Was that what this was? Him needing an excuse to retrieve his woman? A woman who he failed to protect in the first place? Was he just using him for his strength?

" _You are just a tool. His tool."_

"N-no…! I don't… believe… that!"

" _Yes. It's true, and you know it is."_

"He… he knows I'd kill them both…!" Grimmjow said, feeling his head starting to ache. He lifted his hand and held his forehead tightly.

" _Which is why their king will be there to stop you."_

"…" Grimmjow closed his eyes and gave in to the hatred and distrust being fed to him.

"Grimmjow, what's going on?!" Ichigo asked, and then hurried over to the man. He gasped and stopped when Grimmjow's hand went down and then grabbed the hilt of his Zanpakutō.

Stepping back, he felt himself shivering all over. Was Grimmjow turning on him?

"You're going to turn me over, aren't you? You're just using me,  _aren't you_?!" Grimmjow asked with a low growl in his throat.

"Grimmjow, I would never-"

"Save your breath for someone who gives a flying fuck!" said man shouted, then unsheathed his weapon and charged the boy with it aimed at him.

Their blades clashed, making sparks fly and causing a loud clang to echo through the forest. Birds fled from the treetops in the surrounding area from the sound.

With Grimmjow's blade only centimeters away from his nose, Ichigo struggled to keep it from reaching him. It was amazing that he had so much strength even though he only had one arm. It was like fighting Kenpachi all over again.

When he looked into those cerulean eyes, he noticed something off about them.

There was a strange white ring surrounding them. The cocky look that usually resided in them was no longer there. Malice was all he could see, and it was the only thing he could feel from his ivory blade. Not even the overpowering desire for acknowledgement was in his strike.

This was not the Grimmjow he knew anymore.

"I'LL DESTROY YOU! TEAR YOU TO SHREDS AND GIVE YOUR TORN UP BODY TO HER AS A FUCKIN' PRESENT! KEHAHAHAAA!"

"Grimmjow…" Ichigo mumbled, hurt by that statement and disturbed by that bellowing laugh he hadn't heard in a long time. It was clear he was being controlled somehow. Seeing him like this, it was painfully unsettling.

Closing his eyes tight, he lowered his blade and stopped resisting Grimmjow's attack.

The feeling of cold metal running through his stomach made him open his eyes and start gasping for air. Grimmjow was standing in front of him with an accomplished grin on his face and a look of wickedness in his eyes.

Vision blurring, Ichigo fell to his knees. When the sword was yanked out of him, he leaned forward and shouted out in agony. Putting his hand over the wound, he felt how wet his shirt was from the blood flowing out of it.

When the taunts and whispers of his own demise at Kurosaki's hand faded, Grimmjow's eyes went wide once he realized what he'd done. The sight of Kurosaki on his knees and grabbing a handful of dirt in pain made him drop his Zanpakutō and fall to his knees as well. Reaching out, he took him by his right shoulder and gripped it tightly.

"What the hell… why did you let me…"

Ichigo spit out a mouthful of blood and then looked up to look the man in the eyes. They were back to normal again. "Because I-I knew you wouldn't kill me…" he said, and then closed his eyes.

"You… you fucking fool!" Grimmjow shouted.

A rustling in the bushes made him look to where it came from and pull Ichigo close with his arm so he could protect him if he needed to.

"That boy will die if his wound is not treated soon."

"Who the fuck are you!?" Grimmjow roared.

Ichigo panted while trying to keep himself from bleeding out, but he had no real chance of surviving at the rate he was losing blood. Falling forward onto Grimmjow, he closed his eyes and had faith that he could protect him from whoever this person was that was coming towards them from the shadows of the forest.

Staring with a dangerous look in his eyes, Grimmjow picked up his sword and let Ichigo lean in on his stomach. Only having one arm was very inconvenient for him.

"I am Kyouka Suigetsu. And I am here to test you. Or should I say, I have already tested you." The man said as he came out from behind the trees and bushes.

He had a heavy, navy cape on and was also wearing a mask to conceal his face from the world.

"What?"

"As guardian of the forest temple, I am here to deem you either worthy or unworthy for the right to visit the temple. Through the forest's whispers, I was able to dig deep into your hearts and see both of your motives. And since they seem fairly harmless, to Earthia at least, I won't stop you should you decide to go to it. Though…" Kyouka Suigetsu paused, and then looked down to Ichigo before continuing, "Sosuke Aizen, the master of the creature you're clinging to so desperately right now, has visited the temple and caused a disturbance. Regardless, you are both welcome to visit the temple if you wish. As it stands, you need a doctor." The spirit copy said.

"Where would we find one in the middle of this forest…?!" the orange-haired boy panted heavily against Grimmjow's stomach.

"When you exit the forest, you will come across a village. There is someone who can help you there. I sincerely apologize for turning you on one another, but it was the only way for me to see what was truly inside your hearts. Now that I have, I can allow you access into the temple, as I said before. Continue on your journey, and make the right decisions for yourselves and the people around you." With that, Kyouka Suigetsu turned to leave. "Only you can stop the countdown to the end of the world…" he mumbled, too low for either Ichigo or Grimmjow to hear.

"Wait! …Is there… a crystal there… at the temple…? I was told I need to collect them… but Katen-san said the forest temple… doesn't have one…"

"… If she says there isn't one, then that must be her truth. Continue on your journey, and good luck to you. You will certainly need it..." Kyouka Suigetsu said, and then left.

Grimmjow looked down to Ichigo and grimaced a bit, guilty about what he'd done to him. His heart started racing at the thought of losing Ichigo, and he didn't understand why. All he knew was he needed him. He needed him alive to achieve his goals.

After picking up his Zanpakutō and placing it back into its holster, he leaned down, picked the boy up, and started walking the forest trail with him on his back.


	31. malicious malady

Late evening, when the stars have begun filling the sky.

With Ichigo breathing a bit more regularly over his shoulder, Grimmjow made his way down the forest's dirt trail. He'd decided that Ichigo's life was more important than some temple, where what the boy was looking for wasn't even located, so he skipped going there altogether.

When he came to a fork in the road, where the sign said the left path led to the coast, and the right path to the town of Himura, he took the right one. That spirit had told them there was a doctor in the town outside the forest, so that's where he needed to go.

Looking at the sleeping boy through the corner of his eyes, he couldn't stop the guilt that overcame his conscience.

From what it looked like in that spirit's image, Kurosaki had run his heart through with an accomplished smile on his face as he did it. And that made him question this altogether.

But Kurosaki wasn't stupid. He knew what would come for him if he ever played the double-crossing game.

"You'd better not fucking die before you get my arm back." He whispered to the unconscious boy as he walked the forest path. It was all he could think to say, really.

Up ahead of him was a hill, and he knew he'd have no trouble getting over it. Ichigo weighed next to nothing, even while he could only support his weight with one arm.

When he reached the hill and made to climb it, a swift motion to his right caught his attention and made him stop.

Looking deeper into the forest, he didn't see anything moving. However, the sounds of hawks screeching and then something cracking made his bright cerulean eyes go wide with alarm.

Something was roaming through the forest in the dark…

The last thing he wanted to do was try fighting whatever it was with Kurosaki being incapacitated.

So when he heard the sound of leaves crunching heading in the opposite direction, he started up the hill.

The second he got to the top, Ichigo groaned and opened his eyes a bit. "God… it hurts…" he complained.

Grimmjow rolled his blue eyes, and then noticed a town surrounded by a large wall at the bottom of the hill, a good distance away from this forest's exit. "Stop your complaining." He said. "The town's down there."

"Grimmjow, I… I need to seal this wound…"

"And just how the hell are you planning to do that?"

"I… I don't know, but I've lost a lot of blood. If I go back to sleep, I might not wake up."

"Tch…"

"It's late, so there's probably… urgh… no one awake now who would be able to tell us where the doctor is anyway… Let's try taking care of it temporarily… and then in the morning we'll enter the vill… the village…" the boy groaned.

"Yeah, guess you have a point."

Grimmjow looked over to a large tree off to the right that looked like the perfect place to spend the night. Normally, he would be fine sleeping on the ground. But that was not the case here. There was something lurking around in the shadows of the night, and he wasn't in the mood to deal with it, whatever it was.

After walking over to the tree, he jumped up onto one of the thick branches, then used his sword to cut it flat so they could sleep on it. All the while, he managed to keep Ichigo from sliding off his back without the use of his hand.

Once he was done making their sleeping place, he carefully let Ichigo down off his back, then got on his knees and lifted the boy's shirt to observe the wound.

It was deep. A clean cut all the way through. No doubt there was some internal damage.

"Kurosaki, I can close this, but your internal wounds won't get better if I do."

"Haah… Just close it. We can deal with that tomorrow." Ichigo breathed out. He grimaced when he looked down and saw the bleeding wound with his own eyes.

Lifting his hand, Grimmjow used a fraction of what would normally be a CERO to burn the hole in Ichigo's stomach shut. Then he lifted the boy and let him lean on his chest so he could do the same to the wound on his back.

"That hurts… so bad…" the orange-haired boy said with his forehead pressed against the larger man's collarbone.

"Shut up. At least you won't bleed to death."

Ichigo brought his hands up and clasped them onto Grimmjow's shirt tightly. "I won't betray you, Grimmjow." He whispered with his nose against the man's chest.

"I know…"

"I'm serious…"

"…Just shut your face and get some rest."

Gently, Grimmjow laid Ichigo back down on the branch, and then laid down beside him, making sure to keep a little space between them.

 

 

…

No less than an hour after having closed Ichigo's wounds, Grimmjow found himself awake and unable to close his eyes for the night. Staring up through the treetops, he got a nice glimpse of the sky where the stars were shining brightly. Though he had no real interest in them, they were something to keep him from being bored out of his mind.

The moon, a full moon he noticed, also shined its white glow down to Earthia, lighting the forest where its glow poured through the leaves.

Just as he felt the tiniest bit sleepy, he heard the sound of leaves crunching again. This time, he heard a growl echoing on the wind accompanying it and sat up to look out to the forest in all directions.

It was time to find out what this thing was.

To his surprise, there was nothing to be seen anywhere. The only thing that was there was darkness where the moonlight did not reach.

As the growling continued, a bead of sweat rolled down his forehead when he realized it was coming from right below the branch he and Ichigo were in.

His cerulean eyes grew wide when he spotted a large, dark, and hairy creature with spikes sticking out from its spine standing on the ground below, sniffing about. It must have picked up his and Ichigo's scents, but since he had jumped into the tree, the spot it was sniffing was a dead end for it.

This strange monster stood on two legs which were similar to the hind legs of a canine, revealing that its arms were almost as long as its entire body. In fact, they were almost touching the ground. It also had claws unlike any he'd ever seen before.

Grimmjow had never known of any creature that looked like this to exist. It was obviously not of this world.

With his heart racing a mile a minute, he moved closer to Ichigo so he could protect him, should the beast notice them. Then he put his hand on his Zanpakutō and waited patiently for the beast to continue on its way. More sweat rolled down his forehead and neck, and he swallowed his saliva, making him realize just how disturbed he was by this inhuman thing.

It gave up on finding them, then headed on its way further into the forest, breathing a low, heavy growl as it left.

With his hand still clasped on the hilt of his Zanpakutō, Grimmjow tried calming himself down. Looking down at Ichigo, who had slept like a fucking baby through the whole thing, he felt relieved that he decided to come up into this tree. That creature had no Reiatsu, so he couldn't really gauge its strength, but he could tell from just one glance that it was strong. Otherworldly so. Defending himself and an injured Kurosaki with just one arm against something he had no knowledge of spelled death for one of them. And it most likely would've been Kurosaki.

Lying down again, he decided to sleep holding his Zanpakutō over his torso, in case the creature decided to return and  _look up_.

* * *

The next morning.

Opening his eyes slowly, Ichigo found himself lying with his face on Grimmjow's scarred chest. He had no time to enjoy it because his wound was still causing him a great deal of pain.

When he made to sit up, he jumped when Grimmjow put his hand on his head and held him down.

"What the-"

"Don't move, Kurosaki."

Ichigo laid still against the man's chest, blushing and feeling as his heartbeat increased in speed against his cheek.

Then he heard it. Something was moving quickly through the grass on the ground below. It sounded like there were two of them.

"Hurry! We have to take you to the good doctor!" a young girl's voice called out.

"It hurts so much! I know his cure will work for me!" a boy cried.

At the bottom of the hill, the two of them quickly hurried out of the forest and ran to the village. The boy was holding his arm like it pained him immensely.

With his cheek still awkwardly nestled against Grimmjow's chest, Ichigo felt the man's strong heartbeat and noted it was returning to normal now.

"How's your wound?" Grimmjow asked, and then released Ichigo.

"It's better now that it isn't bleeding, but it still hurts like a mother…"

"Let's go then. That village is where we're supposed to find a doctor."

When Ichigo made to get up, he felt some stiffness in his right arm and was so distracted by it that he nearly fell off the tree. Grimmjow caught him by the shirt and pulled him close. "What the hell is wrong with you?" he asked with a curious look on his face.

"I… my arm… It's stiff and heavy… and it hurts…"

"You're so pathetic and weak." The cerulean-haired man commented, and then jumped to the ground.

Ichigo looked down to his arm and noted it was a little dry looking, but put it out of his mind. His main concern was getting down from the tree with his newly-sealed stab wounds still paining him, since Grimmjow had not helped him.

 

 

…

On their way to the village, the duo spotted a large windmill mounted on a house towards the further end of town. The trees surrounding the house, and even the ones in the village, were all covered in orange leaves. It was like autumn had come early for this town, considering summer was still in full swing back in the two kingdoms. Especially Los Noches. Summer was practically year round there.

Just before he and Grimmjow entered the village, Ichigo spotted something unusual off lying against a tree.

It was a wooden doll.

Leaving Grimmjow's side to investigate it, and consequently causing the other man to stop on the road to the village, Ichigo went closer the doll and knelt in front of it. The sharp pain from his abdomen gave him a harsh reminder that he had been run through with a sword and couldn't function the way he used to.

Once the pain was easier to bear, he observed the doll closely.

"…The features on this thing are so real." He commented. "There must be a puppet master in this village. Grimmjow, come see this!"

"We don't have time for that shit! I want my arm back, so let's get moving already!"

With a sigh, Ichigo struggled, but stood to his full height, then walked over to Grimmjow.

The sign on the way into the village read "Himura".

Upon entering Himura, Ichigo noticed that everyone was busy doing something. They were either at work in the market, cleaning around their homes, or constructing what looked like an additional block to the village.

Children ran about, playing their games and laughing with glee. It was very reminiscent of Seireitei for the orange-haired boy. The whole atmosphere was so familiar, so welcoming.

Losing track of his surroundings, he was surprised when he saw a young girl with light brown hair and fair skin, who looked about nine years old, waving her hands at him from afar.

"Excuse me! Can you help me, please!?" she asked.

Grimmjow quickly turned to Ichigo and shook his head. "Don't-"

Disregarding Grimmjow altogether, Ichigo hurried over to the girl and asked he what she needed help with.

"My chickens got out of the yard and are running all over the village! Those chickens are part of my family's livelihood, so my dad says, and are very valuable to us. I'm not fast enough to catch them, and they don't take kindly to being picked up… If you can, please retrieve them for me! I'll reward you if you can get them all back before my dad gets home!"

Smiling, Ichigo decided to help this girl out. He couldn't just ignore a cry for help, after all.

"I'll do it, but I have a wound… So just give me some time." He said.

Grimmjow rolled his eyes and walked over to one of the trees, then took a seat under it in the shade. He was surprised when the little girl ran into her house and came out with a small bottle of something for Ichigo.

After lifting his shirt and seeing the wound that was burned closed, she applied some of whatever was in the bottle onto it, then blew on it.

Ichigo grimaced for a few seconds, then put his hand on his wound. "It doesn't hurt so much anymore." He said, a bit shocked.

"Okay, I'll get up on the roof of the house and make sure my parents don't come."

"Right."

Grimmjow watched as the little girl ran into her house and Ichigo headed towards the town center, where he must have seen a chicken.

"This is so annoying." He mumbled.

Only ten minutes later, the Arrancar decided that this was stupid as well. Sitting under the tree, watching the little girl sitting on her roof looking for her father while he also watched as Ichigo only managed to catch three chickens.

His eyes went wide when a chicken, much larger than what he expected, came up behind the orange-haired boy once he caught a normal sized one that started screaming.

"Behind you!" the girl shouted, making Ichigo turn around.

Falling down on his rear from shock at the chicken that was half his size, Ichigo had to catch his breath. When the chicken he'd been holding with his left arm got away, he shouted for it to stay.

To his surprise, Grimmjow was suddenly in front of the chicken, then picked it up by the neck.

"Be gentle!" the girl ordered.

With an irritated look on his face, Grimmjow threw the chicken over to the coop, then walked past Ichigo and stopped in front of the larger chicken. "You're going back to where you belong." He ordered in a commanding, yet calm voice.

After a brief stare down of the two, Ichigo's jaw dropped when the chicken turned and headed back to its coop.

"Don't take up a job if you can't handle it." He heard the man say.

"It wasn't as easy as you think! My right arm is getting stiffer now!"

"Liar."

Before Ichigo could begin quarreling with Grimmjow, the little girl had made her way out of her house and was now coming over to them, excited about how amazing they were for helping her out.

"I mean, that was so awesome! Bella never really does what anyone says! I can't believe you made her go back to the chicken coop!"

"It was probably because she saw her own death reflected in his eyes…" Ichigo mumbled under his breath, making Grimmjow look down to him. When the little girl reached them, he stood up and dusted himself off with his left arm. "Sorry I couldn't get them back faster…" he told her.

"Neither of my parents are home, so it's fine! Thank you for your help! I never would have gotten all those guys back on my own!"

"It was nothing, really."

"I'm Akako, by the way. It's very nice to meet you!"

"I'm Kurosaki, Ichigo. And this is Grimmjow." Ichigo said, returning the introduction.

Akako got closer to the shorter of the two and observed his right arm as he held it protectively. "You said it's stiff, right?"

"Y-yeah. I can't move it at all now."

"It sounds like you have the Wood Madaly…"

"The… Wood Madaly? You… you mean malady?

"Oh! Yeah, that's how you say it! That's just how it sounds!"

"What's the Wood Malady?"

"…You two must not be from around here, because even us kid know  _of_  it. I don't remember what it is exactly… But Dr. Crownwell said something about the trees outside the village defending themselves from humans by sending a secret agent into peoples' bodies, and it eventually solidifies them… My dad caught it once, and he came to our house to treat him."

"Doctor? This village has a doctor?" Ichigo asked, hope and optimism apparent in his voice.

"Mhmm. He lives towards the graveyard at the head of town."

"I need to pay him a visit to have him look at my wounds." The orange-head said.

Grimmjow put his hand into his pocket and tried not to feel guilty about what he'd done to the boy. He wouldn't be going through this had he not given in to the idea of being betrayed.

"You're not worried about the malady?" Akako asked.

"Nah. I can get my friend to heal me of that."

Cerulean eyes found their way to Ichigo, staring at him intently for a second. From that statement, Grimmjow fully believed that this woman Kurosaki claimed could heal his arm could actually do it. There was no way he'd be so calm about whatever illness he'd come down with if she didn't have the power to heal it.

"You'd better see your friend within two days, then." Akako stated.

"Why's that?"

"Because the malady spreads all over you in that time, and then eventually turns you into wood."


	32. the good doctor

With wide eyes and knitted eyebrows, Ichigo stood staring at Akako. "Turn me into wood?!" he said, trying to comprehend it by speaking it aloud.

"That's right." The girl replied with a regretful look on her face. Walking closer to Ichigo, she took his arm into her small hands to observe it. "It looks like it's already reached the second part. I think that's when it starts looking like wood."

"No… This is… impossible…" the orange-haired boy said, fear, confusion, and disbelief all evident in his voice.

"Well, there is a cure for it. It's just… not many of the people who've caught it have been able to get better after getting the shot."

Ichigo closed his eyes for a second. Then, turning to look back at the gate in which he and Grimmjow had entered the village from, he recalled the wooden doll lying against the tree that looked so real. He now realized that it was no doll. It was a human who must have been lying against the tree for too long.

But then something else hit him.

Turning to Grimmjow, he looked him over for a second. After Akako released his arm, he stepped back behind the taller man and lifted his vest to look at his back. "Are you feeling stiff anywhere?" he asked.

"No." the Arrancar replied, "Now stop that. It's annoying as hell."

"What are you doing?" Akako asked with a confused look on her young face.

Ichigo stopped probing and moved away from Grimmjow. "Well, Grimmjow was lying against the same tree I was, but he seems fine."

Akako was incredibly surprised to hear that. "Anyone who spends too much time on the trees ends up with the malady!"

Grimmjow rolled his eyes. "I was an Espada, and I'm still an Arrancar. My skin is much more resistant to what ails normal people. It's been that way ever since I joined Aizen."

Somewhat questionably, Ichigo looked at Grimmjow through the corners of his eyes. He wondered what he was like before he joined Aizen.

"Aizen… as in the king of Los Noches?!" Akako asked.

"Yeah, what of it?" Grimmjow replied.

"Whoa! I've never met someone from Los Noches before! And an admiral at that!" the girl said excitedly.

" _Former_  admiral." Ichigo corrected.

"At least  _I_  didn't betray my kingdom. Then again, Seireitei wasn't much of a kingdom in the first place." Grimmjow retorted.

"… I…" Ichigo looked down to the dirt below, feeling incredibly guilty about how he had left Seireitei. His friends, his family, everything he had grown so used to while growing up… he'd left it all to save this man. And he left in the midst of chaos caused by Nel and those hawks… But Inoue factored into it as well, so that was some solace in his  _betrayal_.

"Wait, so both of you are from the two kingdoms!? Oh wow! What are you doing together?! And so far out here in the west at that!" Akako asked, her excitement rising even more.

"I need my arm back so I can become the king of Los Noches." Grimmjow stated.

"Ooooh… How are you going to do that? And why is Ichigo-san helping you?"

"His friend has a power that is supposed to do it for me."

"How coooooool! That sounds like the powers of the gods, haha! Like, even cooler than fighting!"

"No, fighting is all that matters in this world." Grimmjow corrected.

"You sound like you're stuck on shounen manga mode where fans only care about the fighters. But you know, my sister says that it takes more to save a life than it does to take one. So I admire people who can do that. And you're looking for them to help you now, right? Isn't that proof enough right there that fighting isn't everything?"

Closing his eyes, Grimmjow stuck his hand into his pocket and turned away.

Ichigo looked down to his motionless arm for a moment. There was no way he could reach Inoue in less than two days. He needed the cure, and fast. "Akako, do you maybe have some of the cure for this malady?" he asked.

Said girl shook her head. "No, I'm sorry. The only person who has the cure is the doctor."

"Can you tell us about him? How much will the cure cost to receive?" the orange-haired boy continued, knowing he wouldn't really be able to afford it with the money he had on his person. Grimmjow didn't seem like he had much money, if any. The way they had left Los Noches, how could he?

"It'll be free of charge."

"N-no way!"

"Way! He's a really good man! When he came to our house, he was very nice. And funny, too! But he's kind of old. My dad says he's not from this village; he came a few years ago. My mom said it was a good thing he came because we had no doctor, and the people who got sick stayed sick for a long time."

"Sounds like a saint." Grimmjow commented sarcastically.

"Hush, Grimmjow. Akako, why does the doctor live near the graveyard?"

"Well, that's where he set up his clinic. But there are people who live near him. He's not creepy or anything. He spends a lot of time down here with the villagers when he's not doing his own thing. My sister has taken lessons from him at our house to learn about medicine so she can become a doctor, and she says he's like the grandpa we never had."

"Okay. Well thank you, Akako. I'm going to visit the doctor to see if he can help me."

"To get to his clinic, just take this road here all the way up and make a right. And good luck, Ichigo-san! I hope the cure works for you! Even if it doesn't work, come back to see me for your reward!" the girl said, and then hurried to her house, waving them off with a smile.

Ichigo waved to her, and then started up the road.

Grimmjow followed after him with an annoyed expression plastered on his face.

* * *

"This must be it." Ichigo said as he came upon a quaint old house, just ahead of the graveyard.

"What gave it away? The sign that says "clinic"?" Grimmjow asked.

"Shut up…"

Walking up to the house, Ichigo looked around for a second before he knocked the door with his left hand. He got no response, and grew a bit nervous that maybe the doctor was out. Maybe he wouldn't see him until it was too late…

Annoyed that Ichigo apparently didn't have the balls to enter without permission, and even more annoyed that he could turn to wood as a result, Grimmjow put his hand on the boy's shoulder and moved him out of the way. Then without remorse, he kicked the door in and walked into the house with Ichigo throwing disapproving comments at him the whole time.

"You can turn to wood, if that suits your fancy." He said without looking back at him.

Ichigo looked down to his right arm and grimaced a bit. Grimmjow had a point. He had a goal to achieve, and there was no way he could do what he needed to do if he was a wooden doll.

Reluctantly, because he certainly wouldn't want someone just breaking into his family clinic back home, he entered behind Grimmjow into the dark foyer.

Venturing further into the clinic, he came upon what he assumed to be the doctor's office. He assumed that because there were notes about various researches the doctor had conducted pinned neatly on the wall. Walking over to the desk in the office, he took a seat at it. Like a child, he grinned at the thought of this being his practice.

Grimmjow, who had been reading one of the notes posted on the wall off in a corner, came over to Ichigo, "I'm gonna check out the notes he doesn't want anyone to see." He said, and then opened the desk's top drawer.

"Grimmjow!" Ichigo shouted. "It's bad enough we broke in here-"

"Kurosaki." Said man stated with furrowed brows at what he was looking at.

Ichigo looked down and grew speechless at what he saw.

There was a manila portfolio titled "Project Skifenia" sitting right there, the letters in a nice, bold print. In red, the word "Classified" was printed just beneath it.

Grimmjow reached down and picked the portfolio up. Underneath that one, there was another titled "Project Oceania", but it was crossed out in red marker.

"We… we shouldn't be reading someone's classified notes…" Ichigo commented. Then he pulled the portfolio from Grimmjow's hand. When he did, a diagram of the human skeletal form fell from it. "Dang it, we don't know where that went in here." After picking it up from the floor, he was surprised at the image lying under it. Some kind of humanoid creature was depicted on it. The humanoid had small extensions that looked like bones extending from its forearms and biceps that seem to form feathers, but it must have been a fantasy depiction. No such creature exists anymore, and this one had a date that showed it was taken about a year ago. Realizing they shouldn't be snooping around, he slid the picture diagrams back into the portfolio, and then put it back into the drawer. "C'mon… we should look for the doctor."

Grimmjow smacked his lips, but followed Ichigo out of the office. He quietly went his own way, though, deciding he'd never get to do what he wanted with the morally wholesome orange-head at his side.

On his way through the hallway, Ichigo noticed another room that was open. It was a library, packed to the brim with books, and lit only by the light of the sun coming in from a tiny window high on the wall. Going into the library, he looked around, wondering just how many books were in this room. Strangely enough, he saw that one of the bookshelves was a bit away from the wall. Only the tiniest bit, really. You'd have to be looking really hard to notice it.

Curiosity getting the better of him, he went over to it and, with great effort since he only had one arm to use, pulled it out a bit, only to find a door behind it.

Putting his hand on the knob, he felt his heart racing a bit. But to calm himself, he forced himself to believe this door led to a basement of old trinkets and other random things. And once he was a bit more confident, he turned the knob and pushed the door.

A dark, cave-like passage that led underground was what he found. It looked as if no one had used it in a while, though. It was completely devoid of light, much like this clinic. Though, the doctor probably left the lights out while he was away to save money on electricity.

When he felt a hand on his shoulder, the boy jumped, squealed, and turned around, putting his hand on Zangetsu in case he needed to protect himself.

A short old man who had a head full of gray hair, somewhat large glasses, and a thick gray beard was smiling at him. "May I ask what you're doing here?" he asked.

Stepping into the center of the room, Ichigo released his Zanpakutō, letting that feeling of vulnerability he'd just felt subside. "I- I'm looking for a cure to the Wood Malady. Akako told me I could find it here." He answered.

The old man closed the door and then looked back to Ichigo. "That stench has always bothered me. I found this amazing place to set up my clinic, and what do you know, it's connected to the sewer system."

Ichigo watched as the old man effortlessly moved the bookshelf back to its proper place in front of the door. "That's gotta be unfortunate… being forced to work near the sewers…" he commented.

"Indeed, but I don't really mind since it doesn't interfere with my work. So long as the door stays closed and behind this bookshelf, no one will ever know what's down there."

The sound of footsteps echoing in the hallway made Ichigo turn.

Grimmjow walked into the room and was shocked to find that he and Ichigo were not alone. "Who the hell are you, old man?" he asked.

"Rude, considering you're the intruders… But, I am doctor Crownwell. I see to the people of this village when they are sick."

Ichigo moved closer to Grimmjow before speaking, "I'm Kurosaki, Ichigo. This is my… travel companion, Grimmjow."

The second he took a good look at Grimmjow, Dr. Crownwell quickly walked over to him and reached out to touch the skeletal mask on the bluenette's face. His eyes were glued to it and his mouth was slightly agape. Putting his hand on it, which earned a confused look from Grimmjow, the old man mumbled something along the lines of "at least it wasn't a complete failure," before he remembered he was in the presence of two people. He fiddled with his glasses for a second, then he noticed the sword tucked under Grimmjow's waistband, "I'll give you the cure you've been seeking." He said.

A smile found its way to Ichigo's face, and he nodded. "Thank you! What will you charge me for-"

"Free of charge, free of charge." After going over to the cabinet over his desk, Dr. Crownwell pulled out a needle and then went back over to Ichigo with it. "Hold out the infected arm, please."

"Right." Ichigo said, holding his right arm out.

The old man took the boy's almost completely wood-turned arm into his hand, then stuck the needle into the area just above it where there was still flesh.

The yellowish liquid flowed from the vial into Ichigo's arm, and he noticed a change almost instantaneously. "Wow, that antidote works so fast! I've never seen anything work so effectively!"

"Well, I've been researching the malady for a long time, and I've had constant people coming to me for treatment."

"It's unfortunate that only some people can accept the cure…"

"Yes, yes. That is a shame indeed."

No less than a minute after being injected, Ichigo was able to fully move his right arm, as if he'd never been infected in the first place. With a smile, he bowed to the doctor. "Thank you, sir!" he said.

"No problem, no problem. Now please, I don't mean to be rude, but I have some very important research to do."

"We were just leaving." Grimmjow stated flatly, then left the room with his hand in his pocket.

"Thank you again!" Ichigo said, before he too left the room.

* * *

"It worked! Haha! That's so amazing! See? The doctor is a miracle worker!" Akako shouted with a bright, toothy smile when she saw Ichigo and Grimmjow coming towards her house, Ichigo waving his right hand at her as he approached. She'd been previously patching something up for her father, but when she saw them coming, she couldn't help but forget about the world, and her chores.

"Yeah, I'm glad it did. I can't afford to turn to wood." Ichigo replied. Lifting his right arm and looking it over, he smiled. Now he could continue on his journey to Inoue, and it was all thanks to the doctor.

Akako got up and grabbed up a small, wooden box from the porch, then hurried over to the two. "Here, this is for helping me!" she said, offering the box to them.

Ichigo took the box and then held onto it like it was dear to him.

Grimmjow noticed Akako waiting patiently for him to open it, but it didn't seem like he was going to. "Kurosaki, open the box." He ordered.

"It's rude…!"

"She's  _nine_!" The cerulean-haired man countered, before he snatched the box from Ichigo and opened it.

A dark purple and black glow emanated from whatever it was inside the moment the box was opened.

"I hope you'll like it! It's the crystal from the temple near the caves that are near the graveyard."

Ichigo's eyes went wide and a look of total confusion found its way to his face. "Akako, how did you get this crystal?"

"The Guardian gave it to my family a long time ago for safe keeping. He said it was a big deal that something like that happens, and it's been my family's treasure ever since."

"That's… that's crazy… this crystal is…"

"The only reason I'm giving it to you is because you helped me. Our chickens are how my family makes money in this village. You didn't have to help me get them back, but you did. So I'm giving you the most precious thing I can."

Taking the box from Grimmjow, Ichigo looked the crystal over. It was small, seeming like it would fit perfectly into the palm of his hand, and it glistened a dark color when it came into contact with the light from the setting sun. "I can't believe it!" he said. "We got a crystal just this easily!"

Grimmjow deadpanned. He didn't exactly know why Kurosaki was after these crystals since he missed Katen's lecture.

"You two can stay at our place tonight." Akako offered. "My parents won't mind, and we have an extra room, too!"

"N-no. We really need to get going." Ichigo said apologetically.

"No, you shouldn't leave now that the sun's setting. Traveling at night is dangerous around here. People have been disappearing, especially in the woods… There's a rumor about some monsters that run around in the woods during the full moons and kill people. The safest place is here in the village where the walls and our soldiers protect us."

"But we really need to-"

"Kurosaki, let's spend the night here."

Said boy was shocked that Grimmjow wanted to stay for the night, instead of pressing on. "I thought you were in a hurry." He replied.

"I am, but I think it'd be a good idea for us to stay here."

With a snarky grin, Ichigo leaned forward and got closer to Grimmjow. "You don't seriously believe there are monsters running around, do you?"

"Just shut up…"

"Please stay! My mom's making a big breakfast tomorrow, and I'd love for you two to be there!" Akako insisted, putting her hands together and begging.

"Okay, we'll stay for the night." Ichigo complied.

Shouting gleefully, Akako told the two to follow her to her house so she could show them to their room.

* * *

Walking into the guest room he and Grimmjow were sharing while drying his hair with a large, white towel, Ichigo raised an eyebrow when he saw his Arrancar lying on the bed and holding the crystal up to the light. "Grimmjow, what are you doing?"

"What is this thing?" said man asked, turning his attention to Ichigo when he closed the door and sat down on the bed beside him.

"It's part of what's going to get us into the palace to see Inoue."

"Of course…"

"Did you get the chance to talk to Akako's parents? They're really nice."

"Yeah, they're just peachy."

"Too peachy for you?"

"Quiet."

After leaning over Grimmjow and opening the curtains, Ichigo turned the lamp off and laid down on the bed beside the larger man. And for a while, he stayed awake wondering about that portfolio titled "Project Skifenia". What did the doctor know about Skifenians? Why did he have diagrams of people and some kind of humanoid creature?

Also… turning to Grimmjow and finding him wide awake, Ichigo wondered just what the doctor meant when he said "at least it wasn't a complete failure".

"What is it?"

"Nothing…"

Grimmjow put the crystal onto the nightstand, then turned on his side and made to undress Ichigo.

"Hey!"

"What? Get out of your clothes."

"No. Grimmjow, we're not operating like how we did in Los Noches anymore."

"… Oh really?"

"Yeah. If we're having sex, it's got to be because we  _both_  want to."

"You wanted to in Los Noches. Don't even pretend like you didn't."

Ichigo's cheeks went red. "Y-yeah, but now we're out here in this big world now. I'm not your prisoner anymore, is what I mean. I'm not going to just give in to you because you want me to anymore."

"Then give in to me because  _you_  want to." The bluenette said calmly, running his hand up the soft skin under the other's shirt. "I'm uh… I'm sorry for stabbing you, by the way."

Feeling his stomach doing flips from this sudden, tender apology, Ichigo gave in to Grimmjow's advances. "Grimmjow… I forgive you… and I won't fight you…"

"Heh, I was hoping you'd say that." Hungrily, Grimmjow undressed Ichigo, then took his own clothes off, before dropping them on the floor beside the bed.

The moonlight coming in through the window gave them both full views of their other's naked forms.

Ichigo closed his eyes when he saw the larger man spit on his fingers to lubricate them. "Ugh…" he moaned and grabbed two handfuls of the bed sheets when those fingers slid into his asshole.

"Take it like a man."

Grimmjow's raspy order made Ichigo open his eyes to look into those cerulean ones. He meant to retort, but instead found himself more interested in what he'd been denied since he first had sex with Grimmjow. And that was the freedom to look him in the eye while they had sex.

When Grimmjow looked down, both to remove his fingers to replace them with his penis and to avoid eye contact, Ichigo reached up and wrapped both his arms around his neck. Then, he pulled him close so that he could feel the Arrancar's warm breath on his neck while he started fucking him.

"You like this, Kurosaki?" Grimmjow breathed out as he moved in and out of him.

"What does it matter…?" said boy replied, closing his eyes and burying his nose in the skin behind Grimmjow's ear.

"It's been a while since we got together like this. Yet you're still as tight as I last left you. Am I the only one fucking you?"

"…" Ichigo clenched his hands and wrapped his legs tightly around Grimmjow's waist, feeling nothing buy glad that they were doing this again. It had been far too long since he had the feeling of Grimmjow inside of him.

Grimmjow didn't mind fucking Ichigo, especially after all the time they'd been unable to get together. In fact, he enjoyed it. No one compared to him, though he'd never let the prick know it. He didn't care much for the kisses or intimacy Ichigo required, but it was something he could tolerate.

The feeling of warm lips pressing against the skin just beneath his ear made him increase his speed. He could already tell where Kurosaki was heading.

The surprising softness Grimmjow's lips offered when he pressed his against them came as a pleasant surprise for Ichigo. And it encouraged him to stick his tongue out and lick them. He wanted nothing more than to have his kiss reciprocated, but as usual, Grimmjow did not respond. But that wasn't  _such_  a bad thing. At least he hadn't pulled away.

When Grimmjow slowed his pace and was more gentle with him, Ichigo eventually lost himself all over their stomachs. He didn't even need to do anything this time. Grimmjow had done more than enough for the two of them.

"I'm gonna cum inside you…" the larger man breathed out after pulling away from Ichigo and burying his nose and lips against the skin on the side of his neck.

"I'm ready."

"Ugh… shit…" Grimmjow grunted as he came.

Without concern for Ichigo or the cum in between them, he exhaled deeply and fell on top of the boy.

After Grimmjow seemed to have calmed down a bit, Ichigo reached up and gently touched the skeletal mask on his cheek. He was curious.

How did Grimmjow fit into the mystery of the Skifenians?

A hand grabbing his arm tightly made him jump.

Grimmjow looked at Ichigo from under his now fallen bangs. "Stop." He breathed.

Ichigo leaned forward and kissed the man, closing his eyes and enjoying the feeling as he did. He wished he could tell Grimmjow how he felt, but he knew it wouldn't go over too well. So for now, he just enjoyed the fact that he could be close with him like this, and also for the fact that Grimmjow did not push him away.


	33. suspicions sinking in

Waking up to find Grimmjow lying next to him had Ichigo feeling admittedly delighted and relieved. As he stared at the other's sleeping face, he smiled warmly at it. He did so because of this moment, and because of what happened last night. Grimmjow proved to him that he had not lost interest in him physically, which currently seemed as deep as their relationship went, and he also had not pushed him away when he kissed him.

Interestingly enough, he had also apologized for stabbing Ichigo. That was unexpected, yet in a good way. It meant he was developing a conscious: an awareness and concern for the people around him.

With the sunlight filling the room through the open blinds, Ichigo closed his eyes to enjoy the simple feeling this moment brought him. This was perhaps one of the only mornings where he'd woken up and Grimmjow was still at his side.

Cautiously, he reached out and made to touch Grimmjow's arm, feeling his heart racing a bit as he did. Just before he could make contact, a knock on the door startled him.

"Hey you guys! Breakfast is almost ready!" Akako said with a little too much spirit for the morning time.

Grimmjow instinctively covered his ears by wrapping his head with the pillow he'd slept on last night.

Ichigo, however, regained his composure, then sat up and told Akako that they'd be joining her soon. They just needed to get ready first. Once he heard her footsteps hurrying off down the hallway, he looked down at Grimmjow and spoke, "Good morning, sleepy head."

"What's so good about it?"

"You woke up and have been granted another day, so I guess that."

"…"

"Are you always this  _grumpy_  when you wake up?"

"Leave me alone, will ya?"

"Hey… uh… Grimmjow."

"What now?"

"I want to know... What does sex mean to you? In-in general… not the dominance thing."

Grimmjow sat up and stretched his arms in the air before responding. "It gets me off. That's all. Like I told you before, gender and all that shit doesn't matter to me."

"… So what if I were a woman?"

"I'd still do it if you were  _strong_. That's all I want out of life: to conquer powerful enemies in every conceivable way."

Ichigo remained quiet. Sure he could offer the other types of strength he knew of outside of simple combat, like Chad's near impenetrable defense, Ishida's somewhat condescending intelligence, or Inoue's healing abilities that bordered divineness, if not surpassed it, but he didn't say anything. It would only lead to an argument, and he really wasn't interested in arguing. Especially not with Grimmjow…

Also, he'd just been inadvertently called an enemy. So he didn't exactly feel like speaking to him at the moment.

Instead, he quietly got dressed alongside the man, and then the two of them headed to the kitchen where the smells of buttered biscuits, blueberries, and sausages were coming from.

"Good morning." Akako's mother said with a warm smile from her place in front of the stove.

"Good morning." Ichigo replied, returning her smile and elbowing Grimmjow in the side so he would also say something.

"Morning." Grimmjow mumbled as he took a seat at one of the empty chairs at the table, directing his greeting at everyone in the room.

"You have… bones on your face…?" a girl, who seemed to be in her mid-teens and who looked a lot like Akako, asked.

"It's cool! Leave him alone, Akiko!" Akako ordered.

"How long will you two be in town?" Akako's father asked as he tried calming the baby in the high chair beside him.

Ichigo took a seat beside Grimmjow before responding, "Not long. We should actually be heading out today…" He said.

"I heard you got the malady." Akiko spoke, looking at Ichigo with curiosity.

"Yeah. Luckily the doctor was able to cure it with that vaccine." The orange-head smiled.

Akako's mother smiled as well, "It's such a relief he's here. I don't know what this village would do without him."

"Akiko is studying medicine. We'll be okay if he decides his time here has run its course." Her father said.

"Maybe she can make a cure that everyone who catches the malady's immune system can accept. It's a shame that so many don't survive."

"Really?" Ichigo asked.

"That's right. And Dr. Crownwell performs private funeral rituals on them, and then buries them in the graveyard. It must be his way of atoning for the guilt he feels in not being able to save them."

Ichigo wondered something for a moment, then spoke again, "What can you tell me about the entrance to the sewers in this village?"

"Entrance to the sewers? Well, we have a few of those beneath the manholes. Those are the only ones I know of."

"… There's no door that leads to the sewers anywhere?"

"Nope!" Akako interrupted, "I should know! My best friend is the daughter of the village leader and I've seen the layout of the whole place!"

"Akako!" said girl's mother shouted.

"…Well it's true… Tami and I are friends!"

"I've told you that girl is trouble. She always gets you into something when you hang around her, and your father and I are left to do the apologizing for it."

"She's right, you know." Akiko said, taunting her little sister with faces and silent laughter while their mother wasn't looking.

"Stop it, Akiko!" Akako demanded.

"I'm not doing anything."

Ichigo stood up from the table and excused himself, earning a confused look from everyone in the room.

After about a minute or so, Grimmjow also got up and followed after the boy. He found him standing outside looking in the direction of the graveyard. "What's your problem?" he asked.

Ichigo turned to Grimmjow with a look of terror in his eyes, "Grimm, the doctor is hiding something from these people." He answered gravely.

The graveyard at the head of town seemed to loom over the two as the wind blew and a flock of crows flew across the sky.

Grimmjow smirked in the face of this now increasingly grisly mystery, "There's only one way to find out for sure, isn't there?"

The two of them stared at each other for a second, before turning to face the clinic on the hill just in front of the graveyard.

* * *

"You scared?" Grimmjow asked right in Ichigo's ear as the two of them made their way through the village.

Brushing the taller man off and weaving through the crowds of people who were all doing their shopping for food, Ichigo shook his head. "Not really." He said over his shoulder.

"You are no fun."

"Well, excuse me for not allowing you to have fun at my expense."

"I wonder what the doctor's up to at this very moment. Probably killing someone and laughing at them as they cry." The cerulean-haired man continued taunting as they escaped the crowd and entered the passage that led to the graveyard.

When he reached the clinic, Ichigo found the door fixed from where Grimmjow had broken it yesterday. He worked fast for an old man…

Grimmjow made to break the door open again, but Ichigo stopped him. His cerulean eyes went wide when the boy pulled a bobby pin from the back of his spiky orange hair and then a knife from his pocket. "Where did you-"

"I took these from Akako's house before we came here."

"Had plans to break and enter today?"

Ichigo shook his head, "Not particularly. Actually I just needed them for my own purposes. We aren't going to be under a roof for much longer, and I figured they wouldn't miss them... along with a few other unimportant things." he stated indifferently, then started picking the lock.

"Now you're not seeming like such a pansy!" the bluenette said with a toothy grin.

"There we go." Ichigo said with an accomplished smile as the lock clicked and the door opened. "I'm gonna take a guess and say he's not here since the door was locked."

"No shit, Sherlock."

"Shut up…"

Knowing exactly where to go, Ichigo led the way through the dark clinic and reached the library. Quickly, he walked over to the bookshelf that protruded a bit, and then started pulling it out, having a bit of trouble doing so. He was surprised when Grimmjow helped him and they managed to get it out of the way, revealing the door that led to depths only God knew about.

When Ichigo made to touch the doorknob, a wave of Reiatsu repelled him, and then a symbol formed of a compilation of strange characters made itself briefly visible. Ichigo felt as though he'd seen some of the characters before… being filled with his blood…

"Oh shit! This bad boy's on the same level as Aizen's was back at the palace!" Grimmjow said with an eager look on his face. "This old man is no fuckin' joke, hahah!"

Perplexed and unsure of what to do from here, since this was obviously a dead end, Ichigo started considering many of the things that had happened in this village since they'd entered it. And from that, he concluded that he needed to visit the temple to ask the guardian about what was going on. After all, there was probably a reason unbeknownst to Akako and her family that they were given the crystal.

"C'mon Grimmjow. We're going to visit the temple." He said.

* * *

Seated up on a tree branch, and hidden from view thanks to the many leaves surrounding him, Wabisuke relaxed a bit in the warmth the day had brought with it. He had his duty to the temple, which meant to protect it, he couldn't venture too far from the village. The villagers also needed him to help out during the full moons. His presence was what  _really_  kept the new creatures at bay, but he let the soldiers think it was their doing.

The feeling of two very large Reiatsu signals approaching made him stop relaxing, and start trying to figure out who these newcomers were. He sat up and made sure he had time to strike, should either of the Reiatsu owners prove a threat.

Something was a bit odd about  _both_  of them, he noted upon closer inspection.

One seemed to be that of a creature and a human, making him realize that the owner existed in a life prior to the one he was living now. It seemed… unnatural, though, even by Reincarnation's standards. There was something in him that did not belong there, and he could tell the person it belonged to knew it.

The other signal belonged to a human; a simple, mixed-breed human. However, his Reiatsu was mixed with the first guy's, implying that one of the more recent mysteries of the world was starting to take place inside his body.

"You're both interesting little anomalies, now aren't you?" he spoke quietly to himself, and watched as they approached his temple.

After he noticed the presence of the crystal on the person of the orange-haired human, he grew apprehensive, immediately suspecting they'd stolen it from Gerald and his family.

"GYAAH!" Ichigo yelled when a dark figure jumped down in front of him.

Grimmjow was quick to put his hand on his Zanpakutō, ready to protect himself and Ichigo at the drop of a dime.

"Where did you get that crystal in your pocket!?" the raven-haired being with red ties on his head and violet chains that were attached to a white tablet on his back asked.

The moment he heard that, Ichigo put the situation into perspective, and calmed down. "You must be the guardian of this temple. We mean no harm, and we did not steal the crystal." He said.

Wabisuke squinted, but eased his mind. "Then what might you be doing with it? And why have you come here?"

As Ichigo introduced himself and the strange Zanpakutō thingy did the same, Grimmjow released the hilt of his sword and then stuck his hand into his pocket, pretending like he hadn't been startled in the first place.

"You're a copy of Kira's Zanpakutō, aren't you?" Ichigo asked, noting the spirit's gloomy, somewhat uninviting demeanor and the way he looked like he was bowing. He couldn't tell for sure, even despite the similar personality he had to Kira, because he hadn't been a Court Guard long enough to be around the vice-captains to know all of their Zanpakutō spirits.

"That is correct."

"Well, Wabisuke-san, I need to talk to you about something."

"Go on."

"Um, maybe we should step inside… where it's more private?"

"…Fine. You two, follow me." Wabisuke said, then headed up the stairs that led to the temple entrance.

* * *

"I hate to say this, but I've noticed a disruption among the people, the plants, and the creatures in this area, too… and it's been going on since the doctor arrived…"

"Tell me more about it." Ichigo insisted.

"Well, there are people who get infected with the wood malady who survive, and those who do not. I'm sure you've heard that in town from the villagers. But what they don't know is that in the graves of the deceased, there is nothing there. I can feel the emptiness through the soil. And it is the doctor who is said to perform last rites and bury them, right? Now with the plants… let me just say that there was no need for them to defend themselves before the doctor arrived. Only a few months after he set up camp here, they suddenly gained the ability to attack humans with their cells. No other region of Earthia has had this phenomenon, so I can't help but feel like he's responsible for it. And where the animals are concerned… this is what's strange: there are unnatural ones roaming around this village during full moons that I do not recognize. I don't know where they came from, or if the doctor is even involved in their scenario… All I  _do_  know is the doctor is doing more than he says he's doing for these people."

"I-I knew it!" Ichigo said, slamming the bottom of his fist down onto the palm of his hand.

"No you didn't." Grimmjow stated.

"Shut up! I knew  _something_  was going on…"

"Stop lying, Kurosaki."

Wabisuke watched the two in confused curiosity as Ichigo threatened to punch Grimmjow, and Grimmjow grabbed his fist and started squeezing it. He quickly realized after a brief argument between the two of them that they were on the road to a strange and… a very  _different_  kind of love. After clearing his throat to get their attention, he spoke, "Listen well, human. I, too, am curious to know what becomes of those who do not survive the Wood Malady. Therefore, I will help you investigate the doctor. If you can do some good for the people of this village and also help them help me keep the area around the temple in order, then you will have proved yourself and I will allow you to keep that ancient crystal you've been given. If not, well, let's not focus on a failure..."

Ichigo's eyes lit up, "Hah! Okay! You've got yourself a deal, Wabisuke-san!" he beamed.


	34. into sleep

With her sword clashed against Hiyori's and a power struggle in-progress, Lisa stared at the shorter blonde girl through her mask. "When did you get so fast?" she asked her.

"No, when did  _you_  get so slow?" Hiyori replied, then forced Lisa off of her sword.

"Hm, I guess I have been a bit sluggish lately… But it's nothing a little practice won't fix!" Lisa exclaimed, charging at Hiyori again.

"Man, look at those two go..." Love said as he came up beside Rose.

"I know, I almost envy their determination. But since we are free to stay here in the city under the Head Captain's nose, we don't need to be constantly training all the time… They make me feel like something's coming, though." The slender man added.

"It never hurts to be prepared."

"I guess you're right. Want to have a go?"

"Nah, not right now. I just finished a round with Kinsei and Mashiro. I tell ya, that girl's got some stamina I wish I had."

"Well, at least we've been more active than Shinji. That guy has been going and coming as he pleases ever since he suddenly appeared out of thin air that day. I wonder what happened to him that made him do that."

"I don't know, but he's worried about Ichigo… came back sayin' his name and everything. I think he said he saw him fleeing the kingdom and going after the guy who marked him."

"You'll have to pardon me as I don't know what you mean by  _marked him_." Rose said in confusion, and then took a seat on the ground.

"Shinji and the girls probably know more about it than me," Love began as he sat down as well, "But basically, Ichigo got himself into a scrape out in the desert with the Arrancar who was to be put to death a few days ago: the blue-haired guy. Through that fight, or some other fight they must've had, he went and unknowingly let that admiral fella mark him with Reiatsu. That's about as much as I know. He was trying to hide it while he trained with us, but you never felt it?"

"Not really. I don't pay that much attention to babies. That's Hiyori's department."

"Well, the Reiatsu was definitely there. But like I said, that's about all I know."

"And that's not a lot!" Mashiro said as she jumped down from atop one of the boulders in front of the two men.

"What do you know about it?"

"Yes, enlighten us." Rose urged.

"Oh there's so so SO much more to it than simple marking! Ichi… He's… well he's in LOVE!" Both Rose and Love looked at each other seriously for a moment before they both found themselves in fits of laughter. Mashiro put her hands on her hips before continuing, "Laugh all you want, but why do you think he set the prisoner free who he had previously lost to twice?! Not to mention he followed after him! I saw it with my own two eyes!"

"Mashiro, you've really got to stop with the jokes! You are too much!" Rose managed to say through his laughter.

"I'm not joking! In fact, there's something else that happens once two Reiatsu mingle and combine like they have inside Ichi!"

"Oh yeah, and what's that?" Love asked.

"Do tell."

"… MMMMMM! No! I'm not telling you! You wouldn't believe me, anyway!" the green-haired girl said, then went on her way with a huff. Looking up to the sky-painted ceiling, she smiled for Ichigo. "Don't overexert yourself, you silly berry."

* * *

"Are you sure Ichigo came this way?" Nelliel asked from on Pantera's back as the two of them came upon a forest trail. "We've been hiding out from those Seireitei goons for at least two days now… but it doesn't seem like Ichigo would come this way… We should've gone to the coast!"

Pantera looked over his shoulder at the inquisitive girl and then turned back to the forest trail.

"He said he knows Ichigo's scent by heart now and this is the way he came!" Kon said, coming out from Nelliel's hair.

"Hmm… are you sure? Are you sure Ichigo and your master didn't split up and you just want to find him instead?"

Pantera growled.

"He said Grimmjow and Ichigo are still together and they went through this forest." Kon said.

"Well if you knew that then why aren't we going through it?" Nel asked.

"The big guy says he can sense something off in the forest. Spirits, sprites, and unnatural creatures are just beyond this point, so he's thinking about taking the scenic route."

A teal eyebrow rose, "But if he went  _through_  the forest-"

"He can still pick up on their scents. Grimmjow's is apparently really strong." Kon squinted down at the panther, "You're not implying he's got something more going on than Ichigo, are you?! You think Ichigo would lose to that guy?!"

Pantera ignored Kon and started heading around the forest. Whatever the creatures in there were that weren't natural-born forest dwellers, he didn't want to deal with them. Along the way, he couldn't help but hear the sound of voices. Lifting his ear, he listened more closely.

" _I had no choice! He took her and forced me to lie to them… I… wanted to help the boy, but if I were to lose her… I don't know what I'd do… I-"_

"Hey, sorry if I'm being a bit of a handful. I just really want to find Ichigo." Nelliel said, then scratched Pantera's ear gently.

Pantera hoped they would find Ichigo soon, as well. He couldn't take being stuck with this gypsy girl or the stuffed lion toy that smelled of the orange-head for much longer.

* * *

"Abarai, are you sure we're going the right way?" Ishida asked as he and the others of the Ichigo Retrieval Squad made their way through the Phantom Forest.

"He's probably foolishly leading us right back to the forest's entrance." Senna commented.

Renji turned around and faced the group, "Pipe down! I've got enough on my mind as it is. Need I remind you that neither of you had to come by any means but your own insistence." He said specifically to Ishida and Senna.

"Renji, we do seem to be a bit lost…" Rukia said, looking around the forest because she thought she heard footsteps.

"Don't I always get us where we need to go?" the redhead asked.

"I guess… but this is different from Seireitei and the Barracks, you know."

"Gah, everyone is against me!"

"That's right! Chad's just too nice to say anything." Senna said, nudging the silent giant with her elbow, "Let him have it, big man."

"No, and leave me alone before I leave you here in this forest!" Renji said to Senna.

"Look, we all want to find Ichigo and bring him home. But we'll need to come across someone soon so we can find out if he even came through here." Rukia said while looking around for any sign of life.

Ishida adjusted his glasses, "It figures Kurosaki would do something so reckless and leave us to chase after him."

"I know, right!? I'm gonna give him a piece of my mind when I catch up to him!" Senna pouted. She felt guilty because she hadn't been able to see this coming the moment she saw Ichigo on the rooftop that day the Arrancar from Los Noches was supposed to be executed.

"Why don't we just continue on to the Soul Palace?" Chad asked. "That was the original plan."

Renji wagged his finger at the larger man for a second, "We're trying to find Ichigo before he gets there so he won't get into trouble for going there without permission in the first place. If we can catch him and bring him home now, then none of this will have ever happened, and we can get on with our lives. Heck, we can even execute the Arrancar he set free and pretend like-"

"Renji, it won't be that easy. At least two captains know he's out here with that man. They'll ask him about his situation, and we all know he's a terrible liar. All we can really do is bring them both back and hope for the best." Rukia interrupted.

"Then let's stop wasting time and let's keep moving. And any back seat drivers should keep their mouths closed."

Ishida adjusted his glasses and Senna folded her arms. Renji was best suited for a task like this, since he had the most experience and was a Vice-Captain, but then again, Ishida was a Quincy. The only reason he didn't split off from the others was because he knew there was strength in numbers, and he could feel some very ungodly creatures slumbering beneath the ground. The others must not have felt their presence.

And so, without any more objections or "undermining directions," he followed when Renji started leading again.

…

"Anyone else hungry?" Senna asked about ten minutes later.

"A little…" Ishida answered.

"Yeah, we have been walking for a while." Rukia added.

"What about you big guy-" Senna turned to ask Chad, and her orange eyes went wide when she saw that he was no longer with the group. "GUYS! CHAD IS GONE!"

Everyone turned around and grew anxious when they saw that their muscle was indeed no longer among them.

"Chad!" Ishida called.

"Sado! Answer us!" Rukia said.

Renji closed his eyes in frustration. "I swear to god if he just quietly stopped for a poop break, I'm gonna- ack!"

Rukia jumped when she didn't hear Renji finish his sentence, and turned to find him gone. "Senna, Ishida, something is going on!"

"I know." Ishida replied, "Kuchiki-san, we have to find Renji and Chad before we advance. Something's here in the forest, and it could kill us all if we don't stick together."

Senna glanced around in every direction, then grew tired of the games. "Bring them to the twilight! Mirokumaru!" she said, causing her sword to change into a golden staff.

Rukia and Ishida watched as she used a narrow tornado to lift herself off the ground and up through the treetops.

"KYAAAH! NO FAAAAAIIIR!" they heard her yell, before her tornado was dispelled.

"Senna!" Rukia shouted, only to be snatched by her foot down the forest trail by a tree root.

Ishida was quick to chase after her, "Kuchiki-san!" he called.

"Ishidaaa!"

Said man felt himself involuntarily freeze up and could only watch as Rukia was pulled deeper into the forest. "Wh-what is this?!" he grunted, trying to move to no avail.

The leaves danced around him and he grew nauseous, then the world started fading to black before his very eyes.

When the last of the five fell to the ground, Katen stepped out from the shadows and stared down at him.

"Mili!" she called.

One of the forest sprites jumped down from the treetops, "Yes!"

"Take this one and make sure he stays out of our way. Keep the five of them together, but keep them asleep in the elder tree where they'll be safe from these full-moon monsters."

"If you don't mind me asking, why are we targeting these humans?" Mili asked as she lifted Ishida up onto her back.

"I cannot allow them to interfere with Ichigo's journey. Many lives depend on his success." She replied. "Now, take him to where the others are and place the slumber enchantment on them."

"Yes ma'am!"


	35. trial of darkness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

With Grimmjow and Wabisuke trailing after him, Ichigo walked through Himura headed to the Doctor's clinic. He felt incredibly nervous as the isolated graveyard at the head of town grew closer and closer with each step he took. Things were about to get very serious very quickly. When Doctor Crownwell's clinic came into his view, he swallowed a bit of saliva, but headed right up to the front door and pulled a bobby pin from his hair.

Before he could pick the lock, Grimmjow came up behind him and pulled him out of the way. "This visit ain't gonna be as nice as the last one." He said, then kicked the door in.

Ichigo shook his head disapprovingly as the large pieces of split wood flew inside the clinic.

"That's one way to go about it." Wabisuke said, then walked inside after Grimmjow entered.

The trio came into the library, then Wabisuke stood back as Ichigo walked over to the bookshelf and pulled it out.

"Here's the Reiatsu barrier." the orange-head said once it was visible to them.

"You should be good at breaking that, since you broke Aizen's barrier." Grimmjow commented almost spitefully. He was jealous that Ichigo was able to accomplish such a feat. For years he'd been unable to do that. It made him wonder just what was so important that he was able to get through it.

"Haha, very funny." Ichigo spat back.

Wabisuke shook his head at the two, then turned his attention back to the task at hand. He knew this barrier was imbued with an immensely powerful triple lacing that the two clowns with him would never be able to get through on their own. After lifting his hand and touching the barrier, much to Ichigo and Grimmjow's surprise, the barrier shattered in a vibrant dispersal of colors.

Eyes full of awe, Ichigo stared at the spirit copy, "That was pretty cool." he breathed out.

"I simply disrupted the barrier and overloaded it with my own Reiatsu." Wabisuke said as he opened the door that was protected by the barrier. "Let's get going. There's some dark presence coming from within the bowels of this place."

"R-right!"

…

The moment he stepped into the dark, cave-like hallway, Grimmjow smelled something foul—something that reminded him of the rotting carcass of a scorpion out in the desert.

It took Ichigo and Wabisuke a bit longer to pick up the scent, and the moment he did, Ichigo brought his hand up to his nose. He jumped when the stairs ended and he stepped in a liquid that was on the level ground. Grimmjow bumped into him and agitatedly told him not to suddenly stop.

"What is this? I can't see anything down here…" Ichigo said. It was truly dark. The only light source was a dim red light coming from a far end of what seemed like a tunnel.

"Keep walking or get left behind, Kurosaki." Grimmjow commented as he passed the shorter man.

Wabisuke turned and looked over his shoulder, "If I were Katen or her partner I'd be able to move around freely in here. Unfortunately, I'm just as in the dark as you both are."

Ichigo put his hand over his nose again and prayed they weren't surrounded by a bunch of ravenous cretins or anything, then started walking again. He tripped though, falling up against Grimmjow's backside. This led to an argument that Wabisuke was not interested in hearing, so the spirit copy started walking at a faster pace to reach the end of the tunnel.

"Get off already…" Grimmjow said, then pushed Ichigo off and started walking again.

Ichigo looked behind him for a second, even though he couldn't see past the tip of his nose thanks to the darkness, "H-hey… don't leave me alone here!" he said, then hurried after Grimmjow. "What is this we're walking in? It stinks pretty bad…"

"Smells like blood." Grimmjow answered.

"Blood?!" Ichigo nearly shrieked, then grabbed hold of Grimmjow's arm.

"It's not just blood, baka. There's water mixed in too. And do you mind letting go of me?"

"Grimmjow, you might not know this about me… but I don't like blood…"

"Hey, I said get off!"

"Hurry down this way, you buffoons!" Wabisuke called from the place where the red light was coming from.

Doing just that, Ichigo sped up and stopped at Wabisuke's side. When he turned, the sight caused him to look away and immediately lose the contents of his stomach. Grimmjow came up after taking his time to get to where the other two were, but when he did reach them, he squinted in disgust.

The room they'd come into was a laboratory of sorts. Skin of many different shades and textures lined the walls, neatly pinned to them like they were important. But the thing that had made Ichigo throw up was the experimentation tables. There were creatures covered in blood lying on them, dead from what it seemed.

"These… used to be people…" Wabisuke said after he walked over to one of the corpses and looked down at it.

"It certainly isn't human anymore." Grimmjow remarked, noting how the rotted and reddish skin on the body had been expanded somehow and also how bones jutted out from many different points. The face was distorted, looking as though this person had turned into some hateful monster before they bit the dust.

Ichigo groaned once he was sure his stomach was emptied. "This is… how horrible…"

"Kurosaki, you're a medic, right? You should be used to seeing corpses. Why're you getting so sick?"

Holding his stomach, that felt as if it was melting inside of him, Ichigo struggled, but stood to his full height, "These aren't exactly reminiscent of humans, you know... Ugghhh…" he groaned.

Grimmjow got closer to one of the bodies and noticed how the bones were primarily extending from the back of the forearm, "What kind of sick and twisted shit happened down here…?" he asked.

"Darkness is a prevalent part of the world, as are you humans. It is understandable that some of the ancients of this world ended up corrupted and hateful, and thus wound up spreading their darkness as the generations passed. What you're seeing here is only result of a tiny  _part_  of the darkness that exists within a human soul…" Wabisuke said, his cold words echoing in the dark room.

Ichigo looked at him in dismay for his bleak outlook. Did he really think humans were that bad? Did he really think that, given the choice, humans would turn away the righteous alternative to a situation?

Ignoring Wabisuke completely, Grimmjow saw something over in the corner and walked over to them. "These are…"

"Villagers who were infected with the Wood Malady." A calm voice came to finish his sentence.

Ichigo felt his body tense up and he and Wabisuke turned in surprise, but Grimmjow's keen senses had let him know someone was coming into the room before it happened. By way of a newly-revealed staircase, the good doctor came down the stairs in an almost leisurely fashion. Though the look on his face was one of unrepentant haughtiness.

A smirk found its way across Grimmjow's face as he turned his cerulean eyes to the old man, "You've been quite a busy old man, haven't you?"

"I know it seems wicked, but my intentions in my actions were true and noble."

"What have you done here?!" Wabisuke shouted.

"Don't seem so upset. I was only trying to do what the man you serve has done to you, Espada." The doctor responded looking at Grimmjow.

"What?" Grimmjow squinted.

While looking at one of the distorted corpses on the table, the doctor began speaking, "It's called Project Skifenia. It's a very ambitious project in which researchers obtain living cells from a being known as a Skifenian, and implants those cells onto an Earthian. By doing this, we long to allow for our race to conquer the skies, the way the Skifenian had during their reign."

"Conquer the skies?" Ichigo asked.

"Taking flight, of course. Skifenians had this ability because they could grow wings at the blink of an eye from their arms and backs. That was due to their advanced bone structure and control over it. By injecting Earthians with their cells, we hoped to achieve that same evolution."

Grimmjow lowered his eyebrows, "Aizen was doing that… to more people than just…"

"Of course! It was necessary for his research, which I so gladly came upon one day when I visited the desert kingdom, Los Noches. And that is what you Espada are. Earthians who have successfully absorbed the Skifenian cells and did not perish from the overwhelming DNA they contain… unlike the subjects you see here in this room who failed to overtake the cells' accelerated multiplication process. That prominent mask on your face is proof that you're a successful experiment. Though, I have not yet achieved what your king has… what was it he injected you with? Come, come. Tell me so I too can succeed in this endeavor."

Ichigo turned and stared at Grimmjow for a moment. That's where the bone-like mask on his face came from? "But… what about the hole…?" he asked.

"I assume it is just a minor setback in the evolutionary stage. While this one appears to have successfully absorbed the cells, Aizen never reported any of his subjects being able to take flight without the use of a spirit animal. If I heard right, one of the Espada has a bat as a spirit animal. That should allow him to fly once he Resurrects. Oh there is so much I'd like to know about you Espada!"

"You're… you're using the townspeople for your experiments…? Knowing full well they trust you?!" Ichigo interrupted.

"Ah, yes! Yes! Allow me to explain. The Wood Malady is a defense mechanism the trees in this area emit to protect themselves from humans. It was my doing that that ability came about because I injected them with Skifenian cells to see what reaction that would bring about. Not to mention a few forest creatures I tampered with… But that's beside the point. I used the trees' evolution to my advantage to obtain a few test subjects. Most failed, but to keep the people's trust, I had to actually cure some of the inflicted."

Nearly shaking that someone could so cold-heartedly take advantage of innocent people, Ichigo closed his eyes. "Doctor…"

"When they came to me, I took the ones I thought were fit enough to handle the involuntary implantation of Skifenian cells. I kept them alive here, just barely, with the antidote to the malady. Then when they failed to fully accept the injection, I had to let them die to preserve my standing as the "good doctor" in the town."

"Why would you do something like this?! What is your goal in toying with human life like this?!" Ichigo shouted.

The doctor cleared his throat. "We want to soar in the skies. Aizen knew there was no safety in injecting ourselves with the cells, and I soon realized that at seeing his notes on their reproductive ability. So it was obvious that experimenting on other humans was the path to take. I left and vowed to report my progress to him once he caught me looking over his research. We were ultimately going to use it on ourselves when it was perfected, so we could reach the intergalactic library that exists high above the clouds where humans cannot reach."

"The library you speak of rotted away with the fall of the Skifenian kingdom decades ago!" Wabisuke shouted angrily.

"You're wrong! That library, and the kingdom do still exist! They're high up in the sky, and I'll never stop experimenting until I reach it!" the doctor replied, equally as loud. He watched as Grimmjow walked around the room and observed the other failed subjects and then smirked, "It must be hard to see your fallen brethren. But be glad that you did not perish when you were given with the cells. If I'm not mistaken, Aizen injected you when you were just a child. You must have been quite a powerful child to withstand the mutation, and then even thrive from it."

"Akako… her family… the villagers… THEY ALL BELIEVE IN YOU!" Ichigo suddenly shouted. "How could you call yourself a human being when you trample all over their hopes and betray them like this?! You can honestly wear a smile around town while you're committing these atrocities just beneath their feet?!"

"I can. And that, my boy, is because I know that someday, I'll transcend human limits and become a Skifenian." The doctor replied composedly.

"You never intend to stop, do you?" Wabisuke asked with a tinge of horror in his eyes.

"This Espada here with us is proof that our research is flourishing! I'll never stop until I reach the library-"

Grimmjow raised his hand and fired a Cero through the old man's stomach. "I've heard enough of your bullshit." He said as his hand steamed.

Ichigo, shocked at Grimmjow's actions, ran over to stand in front of him. "What the hell was that about?!" he asked, then firmly grabbed the taller man's arm.

"Let go of me, Kurosaki! That bastard deserved death and you know it!"

"No he didn't! We could have gotten him some help! We could have… saved him!"

Wabisuke rattled his chains loudly and effectively got both men's attention, "It was impossible to save him. He was too far gone… too absorbed in the desires for his own gain that he would take innocent lives to achieve them." He said.

"…" Ichigo turned and stared down at Grimmjow's chest, feeling like this was all too much. He couldn't stay in this place much longer. He jumped and looked down when a hand grabbed hold of his ankle.

It was the doctor.

"You're still alive?" Grimmjow asked, ready to change that.

"The Skifenian cells won't let me die so easily!" the old man shouted as blood leaked from his mouth and stomach.

Ichigo took a step back when the doctor stood up and his wound started closing. It vaguely reminded him of Inoue's powers.

"I… I still have… I still have THEM!" Crownwell shouted, then lifted his hand as if meaning to put it into his mouth to whistle. He was too slow though, because Grimmjow quickly performed an Iai strike on him.

Ichigo's jaw dropped when the old man fell to the ground in two pieces. Taking a step back, he stared at Grimmjow and felt himself start shivering all over. This Grimmjow… This Grimmjow was the same one from the day they'd first met. The same man who would have easily killed a child who was in need had done that to an old man who was also in need. If only he could have talked to the doctor, then this outcome wouldn't have occurred.

Grimmjow turned to Wabisuke. "You could have easily stopped this a long time ago if you'd confronted this freak when you were first suspicious of him."

"…I know that, but you must also understand that there was no doctor to treat the ill until he came along. The malady didn't happen as often as other natural illnesses did, so he did  _some_  good. At least now the villagers might have a chance…"

Standing still while staring at Grimmjow, Ichigo still couldn't figure out if the Arrancar had acted in sympathy for the dead, or if he just wanted to take a life to fulfill his bloodlust.

"Tch…" Grimmjow smacked his lips at Wabisuke, then closed his eyes as if he was dismissing the entire ordeal.

Wabisuke closed his eyes as well, lamenting what had transpired and only able to call the loss of such a gifted doctor a misfortune. "You two are now witnessing the darkness of this world. This world of ours is very influential on you humans, and unfortunately that influence isn't always a positive one. Take greed for knowledge or money for example. The things you all do to each other in pursuit of those things are unspeakable… Even your religions, something meant to be benevolent in their aims, have led to unnecessary wars when their ultimate goals are to unite people and teach you to be compassionate towards one another—teach you all to live wholly and peacefully, not kill those who do not share a similar belief as you do. There is so much darkness in this cursed world we call home, but it resonates even better within your mortal souls. And for you all, I'm afraid there is no escaping that. Ever." The spirit paused before continuing, "Let's return to the village. Though this place is only strengthening my point, I don't want to linger here any longer."

…

The walk back through the tunnel and then to the village was a silent one. No one said anything due to how preoccupied their minds were with what had just happened. Ichigo was still trying figure out why Grimmjow had just killed the doctor while also contemplating what Wabisuke had said. Grimmjow was less interested in Wabisuke's words, but they still had come up in his mind on the walk. Wabisuke concerned himself with helping the villagers as best he could now that their doctor was dead.

When they got back into the village, the spirit copy turned to the men following him. "What will you do now? Will you continue on this daunting journey to collect the other crystals of the world, or will you let your determination falter here, now that you have seen the corruption that exists within it?" he asked.

Ichigo looked out to the villagers who were going about their lives for a moment before he pulled the crystal he was given by Akako out to look down at it. There is a symbol across the front of it, but he can only assume it means 'darkness'. "We-"

"We're going to keep going." Grimmjow interrupted, which caused Ichigo to look at him confusedly.

"Grimmjow…"

Said man rolled his eyes and then squinted down at Ichigo, "I want my arm back! I don't care about the darkness of the world, or how long this damned journey takes! Nothing intimidates me in the face of my aspirations. As long as I get my arm back, I can reach my ambitions. Don't you give up on me now." He said, then calmly and nonchalantly put his hand into his pocket.

"Right." Turning to Wabisuke, Ichigo gave a look of confidence to the spirit copy. "We're going to keep going. I promised him I'd help him, and I want to bring my friend home as well. I don't care what the means, I'm going to accomplish those goals."

Wabisuke nodded, "Well, that's fine. You have my permission to take the Crystal of Darkness with you. It will return when the time is right. For now, I suppose I'll keep guarding the temple as if it is still there… and also bury the bodies the doctor had kept beneath the town. …Oh… by the way," he started, looking at Ichigo curiously, "if you came from the forest, shouldn't you have… well… never mind. I don't know much about Katen or Suigetsu to know if it's worth asking."

"Wabisuke-san."

"Hm?"

Ichigo took a second to look up to the sky at the sun coming out from behind the white clouds before speaking, "I'm going to shine some light on this world of ours. I promise." he said confidently.

Wabisuke stood staring at Ichigo for a few seconds as the wind blew gently and the auburn and ginger leaves danced freely in it. There was something about this boy… something inside that he could see was very different from average people. He was such a determined fellow. After shaking his head, Wabisuke picked up his stone tablet and then turned and headed off on his way. "Can't wait to see it, kid. Good luck in your travels." He said over his shoulder.


	36. maybe at the end of the journey...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING, CHAPTER CONTAINS MATURE CONTENT.

With a crestfallen look on her young face, Akako followed Ichigo as he and Grimmjow headed to Himura's main gate. "Do you… do you  _have_  to leave now, Ichi-nii?" she asked, eyes beginning to tear up.

Coming to a stop in front of the gate, Ichigo looked down to Akako, "Yes. I'm sorry, but I have a very long journey ahead of me and I don't want to prolong it. My friend is out there waiting for me to find her, and I told this guy I'd get his arm healed for him." He replied.

"My parents said you could as long as you need to! We all really like you!"

"Thank you for the offer, and thanks for the hospitality you showed us. You offer is very tempting, but we really have to get going."

Grimmjow stuffed his hand into his pocket and started walking again, ready to leave the village. Getting the sight of those creatures out of his head, and also avoiding whatever monsters were running around the forest to the east were things he couldn't do any quicker.

Ichigo noticed Grimmjow walking on ahead and then started after him.

"Wait! Take this!" Akako shouted.

The orange-head turned and saw her holding a small, white bag up to him, "What's this?" he asked.

"It's a medical kit my sister made for you guys. She's taking on responsibility as the village doctor, so I  _guess_  she put everything you need in here. Also, there's a map of the west with other villages my dad included for you. Plus there's a place for you to put the crystals you find." The girl said, offering the bag to Ichigo.

Ichigo took it and smiled, "Well thank you. And it's great to hear that you all still have a doctor. Tell your parents I appreciate them putting us up, and tell Akiko I wish her the best luck and that she should follow her own path." He said. His eyes grew wide when Akako grabbed him into a hug… well, his legs anyway.

"Be careful, Ichi-nii."

"I will. See you later, Akako." Ichigo said, and then left said girl standing at the gate, "Take care of yourself and your family! Oh, and the chickens, too!" he called over his shoulder as he hurried after his travel companion.

"Goodbye, Ichigo! Come back and visit us sometime! You too, Mr. Grumpyjow!"

Grimmjow turned and furrowed his eyebrows, but before he could say anything about his nickname, Ichigo caught up to him, "What's with that grin?"

"Heh, that nickname suits you so well." The orange-haired boy said while stifling chuckles.

"You are just as childish as she is." Grimmjow riposted, and then turned his attention to the road ahead.

Ichigo sighed. Alone with Grimmjow again. This would definitely be a long journey…

* * *

Late evening.

"So where are we going now?" Grimmjow asked out of the blue, breaking the evening silence as he and Ichigo headed down the road that led further west.

Ichigo pulled out the map Akako's father had given them and skimmed it. "It seems like the closest temple to us is the jungle temple. If we keep going, we can reach the start of the jungle by nightfall." He replied.

"We're not stopping for the night. We'll press through the jungle until we reach the temple."

Almost angirly, Ichigo stopped in the middle of the road. "I don't know what's going on in your head right now, but we're going to need to rest. We'd be no good if our trial was a battle and we weren't well prepared."

Irritated, Grimmjow also stopped and then turned to Ichigo. "We'll never get anywhere if we keep making pit stops when you lose your breath! We already wasted enough time in that village!"

"Humans need rest, Grimmjow. Not everyone is a hybrid and advanced creature like you are." The shorter man said, then immediately regretted it. Grimmjow looked a little displeased at hearing that, and when he started walking without retort, Ichigo followed him somberly.

…

Now off the road, since it was going to lead them away from the temple, Ichigo climbed a grassy hill and looked up at the sky above. It was nighttime now, and the moon and stars were out shining as bright as they ever had. Up ahead, Grimmjow was stalking through the grass, climbing the hill without effort. Seeing his almost silhouetted form made the boy feel guilt coming back from his earlier comment. He hadn't meant to say something like that, but sometimes Grimmjow just asked for it. His orange eyebrows rose when Grimmjow stopped at the top of the hill and turned. "What?"

"The jungle is right down there. Hurry up." The bluenette said.

Ichigo did just that and quickly climbed the hill to be at Grimmjow's side. Indeed, the jungle was waiting for them a little bit from the bottom of the hill. When Grimmjow started down the hill, Ichigo followed him closely, intent on keeping up. It wasn't that difficult, because going down a slope was certainly easier than fighting gravity by going up one.

"I guess you'll be able to keep up as we go  _down_  the hill, huh?" Grimmjow remarked, then started on his way down.

Ichigo rolled his eyes, but followed right behind the Arrancar.

When they came to the bottom of the hill and the jungle was just ahead of them, the two, particularly Ichigo, noticed how ominous it seemed as the moon cast its white light down through the trees' canopies. It was mostly dark and very similar to the forest they'd traveled through to reach Himura.

Ichigo looked around for a suitable place to sleep, and then saw one up in a tree where the branches all spread out from the center so there was an opening that was the perfect place to spend the night.

Grimmjow watched as Ichigo walked over to a tree and then jumped up onto one of the branches. His cerulean eyes turned away when the boy looked back to him.

"Are you going to come up here with me?" Ichigo asked.

"No, I'm fine down here." Grimmjow replied.

With a sigh, Ichigo jumped down and walked back over to where Grimmjow was standing. Taking him by the arm, he walked him over to the tree and then jumped up with him. After forcing him to sit down, he took a seat across from him. "Grimmjow. I'm really sorry for what I said earlier. You just need to realize that not everyone has the endurance you have as an Arrancar."

Putting his hand into his pocket, Grimmjow leaned back against one of the branches and closed his eyes.

Ichigo sighed again, but decided to be a bit more aggressive with the man. "Grimm, tell me about how you became an Espada."

"What do you wanna know that for?"

"Well, I am involved with this ancient race conflict now, so I want to know what Aizen and the Doctor were up to. It can only be helpful to our journey. Besides… I also want to know more about _you_."

Grimmjow opened his eyes and was met with Ichigo sitting very close in front of him with the moonlight illuminating his face. He looked away to avoid the awkwardness and decided to enlighten Ichigo, since he wanted to know so badly.

"I was an orphan. Just six years old and roaming the streets of an old and decrepit town with my men who fell in your kingdom. I had no family, no money, and no reason to keep living, but I did. A lot of people told me I was better off dead when they caught me stealing from them, but that didn't faze me. After all, I'm Grimmjow fucking Jaegerjaques. I don't beg for anything, I take what I want and I don't care who thinks what about it."

Ichigo looked down, "I guess you had it rough…"

"What didn't kill me only made me stronger." Grimmjow said with a slight air of confidence, "So anyway, one day I got caught stealing by one of the men who owned a stand in the market and he let me have it. That was honestly one of the toughest times in my life since I had yet to learn to defend myself. Then when I thought it was over, he brought me in to his store and forced me to work for him. That was when I met Aizen."

"Aizen worked for a market vender?"

Grimmjow squinted for a moment, "No, dipshit. The market salesman owned a tea shop. Aizen fucking loves tea, and one day he came in to do some shopping. I was supposed to help him, but he came to me with a proposition. He told me he had seen me getting beaten and told me he knew I could be strong one day. That I could even be king of a desert kingdom. I don't recall much after him telling me that except leaving the shop with him. After getting my followers, we all went with Aizen and he took us to Los Noches."

"…" Ichigo stared at the mask on Grimmjow's face, then recalled the hole under his jacket.

"Aizen told us to train hard with each other, to go out into the city and learn the ways of the backstreets and the underworld so we could fight. Then a few months before my seventh birthday, he took me into a lab and started running tests on me. It was then that he told me I would never be the same, that I would never be weak or beaten again, and then he injected me with Skifenian blood. It was difficult to adjust to it at first, but then when my mask and hole came in, I started noticing abilities I hadn't had before. I could jump up to the clouds with ease, fire Ceros that left the desert scarred, and most importantly, I could transform into a powerful and armored demon-like creature. Instead of simply surviving, I started thriving. My transformation was difficult to perform, and I only mastered it during my teenage years, but I knew that with it up my sleeve, there was no one I couldn't beat. The rest of my story is history… Well, apart from picking your ass up, which fucked me completely."

"You did  _that_  by choice. Anyway, thank you for telling me all of that, Grimmjow. I feel like I know a lot more about you now." Ichigo said, smiling when he was finished talking.

"What did hearing any of that teach you?"

"Well, apart from learning more about you, I learned what Aizen did to you to make you this way. You started out as a human… in  _this_  life… and now you're still human. Just, you're a human with mystical abilities. You Arrancar are similar to us Court Guards, even though we Court Guards earn our abilities through training with our Zanpakutō spirits. Aizen seems to be trying to recreate what we all know as power, but I can't figure out why."

"Maybe because he's a power-hungry tea sipper?" Grimmjow offered, then closed his eyes again.

Ichigo chuckled and crawled forward, then laid down beside Grimmjow. After a few minutes, he felt himself growing nervous and erect with Grimmjow being so close to him. He just wanted to be with him, he wanted to feel everything that he was now that he knew the whole truth surrounding the mystery that he was.

Slowly, he reached his hand out and lifted Grimmjow's jacket. When the black hole in the man's lower abdomen came into his sight, Ichigo slipped his hand inside and closed his eyes as the heavy feeling overtook his hand. It was like reaching into space and feeling a cold-burning star in the palm of his hand.

Grimmjow reached down and took Ichigo by the arm, alarming the boy, "What have I told you about doing that?" he asked him.

Ichigo took Grimmjow's arm with his free hand so he couldn't pull his hand out of the hole. The two of them sat there staring at each other for a moment, then Ichigo leaned up and pressed his lips to Grimmjow's. "Grimm…" he breathed out against said man's lips.

"What?"

"Do you want to… you know…"

"It's kind of hard to move when you have your fucking hand in my hole."

Ichigo pulled away and apologized before removing his hand. "I didn't know."

"I was actually fine. Just having your hand there is annoying." The bluenette said with a devious smirk. Then slowly, he slid his hand down Ichigo's stomach until he reached the hem line of his pants, "There's no stopping me when I'm like this. I won't back off even if you tell me it's too much." He continued.

"That's okay, because I want this." Ichigo moaned, then closed his eyes as Grimmjow's hand found its way into his pants to rest on his groin.

"Take your pants off." Grimmjow ordered with a whisper, then pulled his hand back so he could slip out of his own.

Eagerly, Ichigo did as he was told. After pulling his feet out from his pants, he spread his legs so Grimmjow could have room. "I'm ready."

"Cum for me."

"What?" he asked, looking at the bluenette questionably.

"I need some kind of lubrication. And besides, you want to cum for  _me_ , don't you?"

Ichigo nodded and closed his eyes. Reaching down, he took his penis into his warm hand and started stroking it. Not knowing what to do to build up to a climax, he opened his eyes and looked at Grimmjow, who was also no longer in his pants. His brown eyes went wide when Grimmjow leaned forward and licked the small of his neck. "Ugh!" he groaned when the man lightly sunk his teeth down into his skin.

"You can do it." Grimmjow's words came out just as warm as his breath was.

"Mhmm…" Ichigo panted and turned so his nose was buried in Grimmjow's cerulean hair. His scent was so overpowering, something Ichigo wanted to breathe in for hours on end. Everything about Grimmjow was just intoxicating. The fact that he'd managed to earn his attention for physical pleasure was emotionally endearing. What he really wanted now was to shout out his love, but held his tongue. He didn't have much time to think because Grimmjow bit down into his skin again and reached down to help him along, sending him over the top. "Grimmjow…!" he moaned.

Grimmjow grinned and took as much of Ichigo's semen as he could to wet his two fingers. He'd been more than aroused helping Ichigo out and wasted no time sending his wet fingers into the boy's hole.

Ichigo's rosy red cheeks, moist skin, and the look of pleasurable pain on his face were something Grimmjow didn't normally pay attention to. However, tonight, they were broadcast to him in the pale moonlight. Surprisingly, he felt no anger or malice when the boy's brown eyes opened and met his.

Once he'd finished using his fingers, Grimmjow ran what was left of Ichigo's warm essence over his own member and then slowly slid inside the warm and inviting hole.

"Shit, you're always so tight." He said, as he entered all the way.

Ichigo closed his eyes once more and started breathing heavily as Grimmjow started his rhythm. For some reason he never stopped feeling pain when Grimmjow fucked him. Though, no matter how painful, it was  _always_  coupled with pleasure. Since it was Grimmjow, he endured the pain because he didn't want to feel like he was weaker than him. But also, he endured it because he loved him. This was also pleasurable for Grimmjow and he knew it.

After speeding up his pace a bit, Grimmjow leaned forward and licked the bite marks on Ichigo's neck when he felt the boy's arms wrap around him. The feeling of those hands running up his backside and playing around near his rear end sent chills up his spine.

"Grimm, I'm gonna cum again…"

Grimmjow smirked, "You just can't help yourself with me, can you?"

Ichigo shook his head in lieu of answering, then tightly wrapped his legs around Grimmjow's waist as he came again. He was intent on letting the man continue, but Grimmjow slowed down as well and he could feel him going limp inside. "You're finished?" he asked.

"Yeah…" Grimmjow replied, then relaxed on top of Ichigo. The feeling of the boy clenching around him is what sent him to his peak.

Ichigo smiled and reached down to grab the medical bag Akako had given him. "Are you gonna pull out of me anytime soon?" he asked.

"I can sleep like this. You're nice and warm inside and out." The larger man said.

Instead of telling him to get up, Ichigo pulled the map out from the bag, then put it underneath his head as a sort of pillow. As best he could with Grimmjow lying on top of him, he opened the map and looked it over. From what he could see, if they went to the center of the jungle, they would reach the temple. Though, the jungle itself had a note by it that said it was very vast.

For a moment, he allowed himself to wonder about just what kind of powers the crystals contained. What was possible when holding all of them at once?

"Don't… don't you do it…" he heard Grimmjow say.

"Huh?"

"Shit…"

Grimmjow was talking in his sleep. "Baka…" he mumbled, then put the map away so he could wrap his arms around the Arrancar's torso. He wanted so badly to tell him how he felt. He wanted Grimmjow to know there was someone who wanted him to stay alive and cared about his well being. But doing that would prove problematic, as Grimmjow would most likely lord it over him or even ridicule him for it.

Closing his eyes, he let his breathing regulate in time with Grimmjow's.  _"Maybe when we reach the end of this journey… maybe I'll be able to tell him…"_


	37. admittance

The sun sat in the middle of the sky, marking noon to Earthia and its inhabitants. It shined its warm light down on a certain jungle where it peeped in through small openings in the canopies in some places, where in others its light is allowed in through much larger open spaces. The sound of vines and branches being cut echoed through the area closest to the southern entrance as Grimmjow led the way down the narrow path.

"We've been traveling through this jungle for hours! Where the hell is this temple?!" he shouted with annoyance as he used his Zanpakutō to cleave away the hanging greenery that obstructed his path.

Looking over the map in his hands, Ichigo remained calm, "I don't think it'll be much longer before we get there." He replied.

"You're awfully calm to say you have no endurance whatsoever for traveling." Grimmjow said over his shoulder.

Before he could reply, Ichigo spotted sparkling blue up ahead and smiled. There was a waterfall just ahead. It was on the map and was marked that the temple wasn't too far ahead. "Let's take a break." He finally stated.

…

Ignoring the obnoxious noises and splashes that Grimmjow made as he swam around in the water, that was not very deep at all, in pursuit of fish, Ichigo looked the map of Earthia over once more. It didn't hurt to be aware of where certain things were, and becoming familiar with the land could only prove to be beneficial in the end. From the looks of the map and the scale, it seemed like they'd be on their journey for quite a while. And while most of the temples seemed like they'd be easy to reach, there was one where there was just a circle on the ocean region to the far west. That must have been the Deep Sea temple… "How will we get to that one…?" he asked himself out loud.

As he looked over the circled temples on the map, he also wondered how Akako's father knew about them. The explanation for that was most likely because he lived in a village that contained a temple and knew Wabisuke, so it was plausible that he'd been told about the other temples scattered across the continent.

Looking back to the red circle on the ocean, he started wondering how they'd reach it if it was actually under the sea. And also, he wondered what kind of trial they would be facing… Starting off facing darkness wasn't the most encouraging. In fact, it made him lose his initial bravery that he had when he first started this trip. Humans really were so vulnerable to their desire for power and the darkness that dwells in the human soul…

"Kurosaki, do you want a fish?!" Said boy looked up and saw Grimmjow walking over to him without his clothes on and carrying a very large fish under his arm. "Answer when someone asks you a question." Grimmjow said as he put the fish down in front of the fire kindling.

"Sorry… I was lost in thought…"

"…" Grimmjow took a seat in front of the kindling with his back to Ichigo.

With that stub of a left arm showing, Ichigo couldn't help but feel bad for Grimmjow… but only to a certain extent. He  _had_  brought that punishment on himself with his selfish and reckless behavior.

Still, he promised him he'd ask Inoue to heal it for him, and that's exactly what he intended to do. And with Inoue waiting for him at the end of this daunting journey, he found more courage to keep carrying on. Plus, Grimmjow was here and seemed like a nice powerhouse to have, so he let his fears and insecurities go.

She was waiting for him to come for her. There was far too much riding on the success of this trip to fail.

"Are you offering to catch me a fish?" he finally asked. "You're being  _nice_?"

"If I haven't told you before, I'll tell you now. I'm going to return to Los Noches at full power and take my place as an Espada again. Then I can take the others down and become the ruler of the kingdom. I can't do that without my arm, so I need you to stay alive to see it happen. You're clearly incapable of taking care of yourself, so I'll help you when I can." Grimmjow said without turning around to face the boy.

Ichigo blushed a little. At first, he was flattered and felt like Grimmjow actually cared about him. Then he got the actual message from what he'd just been told. Grimmjow just wanted to keep him alive so he could get his arm back. Selfish as usual. "I guess you can catch one for me if you want."

"Start a fire so you can cook them."

"Oh… so that's what this is? You'll scratch my back if I scratch yours?"

"Call it what you want."

"You don't know how to cook, do you?" Ichigo teased. It felt much like that time back in Los Noches when he cooked for Pantera. Grimmjow always had food delivered to his quarters, meaning he probably had no clue how to cook for himself. He was so needy it was almost cute.

"Shut your filthy mouth." Grimmjow spat, and then got up and went back over to the sparkling water.

"…As I thought… there's no reason for me to tell him something useless like how I feel about him. He's only interested in becoming a king, just using me like a stepping stool to reach that point." The orange-head spoke under his breath.

…

Finishing the fish Grimmjow had caught, which he had not cooked or even offered to help cook, Ichigo put the bones down on the ground beside him and looked around the area, noting just how surrounded the two of them were by the jungle. There was so much green and so many vines hanging that it was nearly overwhelming. Grimmjow, after finishing his fish, was swimming around in the water, making it near impossible to concentrate since he was naked. It was a little strange that he liked swimming so much considering his spirit animal was a panther who detested water.

"Come to think of it, I wonder where Nelliel and Pantera are…" he said quietly. Now he was starting to wonder if the two of them had even made it out of the kingdom. Grimmjow assured him that he would be fine, but Ichigo still had his worries.

Though, she assured him she would meet up with him soon. That's what he was holding on to. For some reason, he trusted her completely even despite knowing so little about her.

A rustling in the bushes caused him to turn around quickly to see what was coming their way. Two people, very strange-looking and different in appearance, were stepping out from the bushes and approaching him. The shorter one was connected to the taller one by way of a chain and collar around his neck.

"He looks like an idiot." The shorter of the two said.

"Who are you?" Ichigo asked with an orange eyebrow raised.

"The question isn't who  _we_  are. It's who are  _you_? You and your friend are the ones trespassing in our territory. We have the right to kill you, you know." The taller one replied. She seemed much calmer and more mature than the shorter one.

When he noticed the taller one who had just spoken resembled a baboon with pastel light green fur and the other was short and was very snake-like with short red hair, Ichigo realized that the two of them were copies of the spirits of Renji's Zanpakutō, Zabimaru.  _"They must be the guardians of the temple region."_  He thought.

"What are you doing here?" the short boy asked.

"We're not looking for trouble… We're just here to collect the crystal of the jungle." Ichigo replied calmly.

"And just why should we let you take the crystal from our temple?!"

"I… I'm just trying to bring my friend home… The king won't hear my request without these crystals. Look, I've already managed to get one…" Ichigo answered, and then reached into his bag and pulled out the Crystal of Darkness.

"IMPOSSIBLE!" the two spirit copies shouted in unison.

Grimmjow casually got out of the stream and walked over to where Ichigo was then stood beside him. "Who the hell are they?" he asked.

"For goodness sake, put some clothes on!" the snake-like boy shouted while covering his eyes.

"You dare defile our jungle with your filthy nudity?!" the baboon persona asked aggressively.

Cerulean eyes moved down to the white Zanpakutō lying on the ground, ready to grab it and strike at a moment's notice.

"Wait! We're not trying to make trouble here! We just want to get into the temple!" Ichigo said, and then picked up Grimmjow's Zanpakutō before he stood up with it defensively in front of the nude Arrancar to hide his nudity.

"You know what, fine. We'll let you reach the temple. You're actually not far from it. But you fools will never make it out of there alive." The baboon-like woman said. "Since you were able to sway that introverted and mistrustful guy Wabisuke out of his crystal, I suppose you cannot be all bad."

"Really?"

"It'll count for naught when you're dead inside the temple!" the snake-boy shouted.

"Go on. Go straight to your deaths. You're not worth my time, so I'll let the beasts inside the temple deal with you."

"Thank you." Ichigo said. Turning to Grimmjow, he blushed and avoided looking down. "Get your clothes and put them on so we can go."

"You're not the boss of me. Don't order me around." The man responded with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

When Ichigo and Grimmjow headed on their way, the snake-boy waved them off. "Have fun dying!" he said with a smile.

* * *

Emerging from pure green vegetation, Ichigo came to a stop when he saw the temple come into view. It was pressed into the land, a small depression really, and surrounded on three sides by various fauna. Notably, it was carved in stone. The aesthetic design seemed fairly Egyptian and Aztecan at the same time. He was so astounded by its beauty and the fact that it was almost embedded in the jungle that he stood there just staring at it, unaware of the man coming up on him.

"Losing your balls already, eh?" Grimmjow's raspy voice came in his ear.

"Shut up…"

"Are you that faint-hearted that you'd be scared off by the babblings of a bimbo and a brat?"

Without turning his attention from the massive temple, Ichigo responded to Grimmjow. "Well, they seemed pretty sure we were going to die… Those are manifestations of Renji's Zanpakutō, so I don't take them as seriously as I should, but still… Maybe we should tread carefully…" he said.

"Oh yeah? Just what the hell do you think could be so worrisome that we-"

A strange sound suddenly echoing lightly on the wind made Grimmjow stop and pay attention to what it was that was approaching. The sound grew more audible in mere seconds until the large creature became visible. Or, that should be  _creatures_. Ichigo ducked a bit so he wouldn't be seen. Since Grimmjow was standing behind him and still hidden beneath the trees, he did not move.

A swarm of gargantuan bees, ones at least twice as big as Pantera was, flapped their wings and made their way straight to the large temple just ahead of Ichigo and Grimmjow. Through the entrance on the ground level they entered, disappearing one by one into the dark passageway, until they were gone.

Grimmjow's electric eyes were a bit wider than usual. "That's what we have to deal with?" he asked.

A shiver ran up Ichigo's spine, "Oh crap…" he whispered.

"What?"

"If… if those are just drones… imagine… how big the queen is going to be…"


	38. trial of jungle

"Do you hear anything?" Ichigo asked as he crept down the main corridor of the jungle temple with Grimmjow walking almost right behind him. The path was lit in certain areas by sunlight that was creeping in through various cracks and holes in the stone walls, making it easier for them to navigate by obstacles like fallen stones and prickly plants that had somehow snuck inside the temple.

"Well, since we're pretty far inside a sound-tight hallway, I can't imagine much I could hear coming from  _outside_." Grimmjow replied.

When Ichigo noticed some strange writings on the wall, he slowed down and let Grimmjow walk past him. He tried deciphering them, but it was impossible as they were written in a foreign, if not ancient, manuscript. Still, it was interesting to try figuring what the characters meant.

"Bring your ass, Kurosaki." Grimmjow said from a bit further down the corridor.

"Don't go rushing me, Grimmjow! You don't even know where the crystal is." Ichigo almost hissed with squinted eyes. He had to keep up his defiant front to hide how much he actually wanted to stick close to the Arrancar.

Further down the corridor they walked, with Ichigo sticking close to Grimmjow, until they could see what appeared to be a main room. When they reached it, they saw how large it actually was. It was as if shouting would produce many, many echoes. Through many holes scattered across the ceiling, they were able to see clearly. There was a large doorway across the room at the bottom of what appeared to be a staircase that led up to an empty pedestal.

But with the light, Ichigo noticed something strange. On the ceiling itself, there was no actual stone like there was in the rest of the temple. Only a brownish kind of earth-like gel was there to be seen. "This must be the main chamber." He spoke quietly.

"Hey, isn't that the crystal?" Grimmjow asked.

Ichigo looked over Grimmjow's shoulder and saw that there was indeed a crystal glowing faintly that was floating above a nest of eggs. There were also a few drones that appeared to be working on coating the walls of the temple with a strange substance.

"How will we sneak in without being noticed…?" Ichigo asked quietly.

Grimmjow's ears twitched for a second which Ichigo immediately noticed out of the corner of his eye. Instinctively, when he heard the sound of rapid wind echoing from the end of the dark corridor they'd come in from, he quickly tackled Grimmjow to the ground in between two piles of rubble. Grimmjow did not take kindly to it and immediately made to protest. However, Ichigo put one of his hands over the man's mouth and then used his other hand to make the shushing indication with his index finger.

They both looked up and watched as an incredibly large wave of drones flew overhead and went into the main chamber.

"Grimm-"

"They're gone now. You can get off me..."

Ichigo sat up, making sure he was still hidden behind the rubble. Looking at Grimmjow nervously, he felt himself growing warm all over, especially his cheeks. "Grimmjow… why are you so annoyed with close contact? Is it really that uncomfortable for you?" he asked.

"It's irritating because trite  _feelings_  and people who need constant protection only get in my way, and I definitely don't need that slowing me down. Now let's get that damned crystal so we can move on to the next one." The Arrancar replied, and then sat up as well.

"You fools won't be able to get the crystal that easily! In fact, I won't let you make it out of here alive!" a youthful, female voice called from the main chamber.

Looking around the main room, Ichigo tried pinpointing the location from where the voice had come from. A red light in his peripheral caused him to turn, and he gasped when he saw Grimmjow firing a Cero. His brown eyes followed its path and saw it burn a hole through a corner in the main room. Many of the drones that remained in the room were frenzied as a result. "Grimmjow!" he shouted, then pushed the man aggressively.

"Look, we don't have time for bullshit games!" Grimmjow roared before turning to face his target, "Hand over the crystal now and I send you off to oblivion." He told her.

"Oh? And what makes you so sure you  _can_  kill me? Don't get cocky you hybrid, male cretin!"

Ichigo watched as a fairy-like young woman covered in bee-like armor with a golden, pointed weapon covering her right arm came into view under the light flooding the temple from the hold Grimmjow had just shot into it. She had long, brunette hair that was tied into two buns that gave way to two pony-tails, and she also had bangs falling on either side of her left eye. There was a white, fuzzy collar around her neck as well. Even when she wasn't cloaked in the sunlight, he noticed, her armor glowed golden. "Suzumebachi… Soi-Fon-taichou's Zanpakutō spirit." He breathed out. He knew it would be difficult convincing  _her_  to hand over the crystal.

"Fly around all you want, but I'll catch you and squash you like the insignificant insect you are!" Grimmjow said with a mug that was not lacking in contempt.

"Grimmjow! We didn't come here to fight!" Ichigo stated, then turned and looked at Suzumebachi, "I'm being honest! We only came for the crystal, not to fight you!"

"I don't care! I won't hand over this crystal without a fight!" Suzumebachi declared.

"Wait! We-"

"Stop being a damned coward for once!" Grimmjow interrupted, and then left Ichigo on the ground with an earth-shattering Sonído to catch the spirit who was zipping through the air challengingly. Before Ichigo could react, the ground shook, causing him to fall over. Dirt and tiny pieces of rubble fell from the ceiling.

Grimmjow stopped in midair and both he and Ichigo, who was still on the ground, watched as a large, hairy insect leg came out from the dark hallway on the other side of the temple. Out from the hallway the queen bee emerged, then immediately focused on the orange across the room from where she was.

Ichigo fell back onto his rear end and started shaking. Never had he seen an insect of this size before, and it was definitely terrifying to have it staring at him the way it was. Bugs were very unnervingly frightening creatures. When she started coming his way, Ichigo found himself utterly unable to move. There was something in her stare that had him struck still with fear. The only thing he could do was reach down and grab Zangetsu, a typical thing he did when he was in danger, and held it up defensively.

A horde of drones swarmed out from the hallway and also flew in his direction, following their queen dutifully. Just before they reached him, Ichigo jumped when they all suddenly stopped. They stared at him for an instant, but to him, that instant dragged on for what felt like hours as he stared back into their black, empty, abyss-like eyes. Sweat rolled down his brow then made its way down the side of his head and his heartbeat increased, yet seemed to slow down at the same time.

Before he could even blink, they all turned around and aimed their stingers at him. Suddenly, they all shot out in his direction, making him close his eyes tightly. Unexpectedly, multiple clanging noises rang out all at once.

Chancing a glance, Ichigo slowly opened his eyes. What was blurred quickly became clear and those brown eyes of his widened when he saw, standing over him protectively, Grimmjow using his Hierro to deflect the stingers that were tearing through the air on a rapid journey in his direction. To cover the hole in his lower abdomen by which they could reach Ichigo, Grimmjow had put his hand up over it. The stingers that hit his hand and escaped through his fingers fell to the ground in front of Ichigo. They were bent from colliding with the seemingly impenetrable shell Grimmjow had.

"Haha! Well that's something I wasn't expecting to happen! But let's see how long you can keep that up!" Suzumebachi almost teased from across the room, flying around excitedly in high hopes that Grimmjow would falter soon and be horizontally bisected.

Ichigo looked up into Grimmjow's glowing eyes as he stood there taking the relentless assault on his behalf. It even sounded like the stingers were hitting his backside even harder than they were a few seconds ago. The bees were learning and adapting, trying to break what seemed unbreakable to them. "Grimm-"

"What the hell are you just sitting there for!?"

"H-huh?"

"Rgh! My Hierro can only take so much damage before it- GYAUGH!"

Brown eyes moved down and noticed blood lying on the ground. A stinger had pierced Ichigo's left thigh. Looking up the length of the stinger, he saw that Grimmjow's lower right abdomen had been run through as well. Taking a glance back up at Grimmjow, he saw blood run out from the man's mouth and then drip to the ground right in front of him. "N-NO! GRIMMJOOOW!" he cried out frantically, his cry echoing through the temple's main room and then flowing through the many dark corridors.


	39. "...out of love."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos on this site getting 1,000,000 fanworks! ^^

With his eyes meeting Grimmjow's gleaming cerulean ones, Ichigo sat in utter shock and disbelief as the Arrancar stood over him, still taking the bees' barrage of stingers with what remained of his Hierro. Grimmjow closed his eyes and coughed out a mouthful of blood onto the ground, his face showing just how difficult this was for him. When he saw that, Ichigo, now very frustrated, hesitantly reached up and took the hem of Grimmjow's vest into his hand. Gripping it tightly, he closed his eyes and let a single tear fall down his cheek. He couldn't lose Grimmjow here.

It was time for him to act!

Using his right hand, he took Zangetsu and reared it over his shoulder, holding it in that position for just a second. He hadn't wanted to do this given his desire to see the good in every living thing, but these wretched bees and Suzumebachi left him no other options. The sun glistened off his ebony blade for just an instant before it was cloaked in his black and crimson energy.

"GETSUGA TENSHOOOOU!" he bellowed, and then swung his blade so the heavy, crescent attack tore its way past Grimmjow and up to the ceiling.

The moment it ripped through the substance-coated ceiling, it caused the entire main room to start rumbling. This caused a stir among the drones, and the moment a large piece of the roof fell and crushed a few of them, the queen included, the others became frantic and started flying about haphazardly.

Shortly after the first piece of the ceiling had caved in, many other pieces of it followed suit. In the process, numerous drones that hadn't escaped through the cracks in the roof were crushed.

Ichigo, still sitting in the main corridor and thereby unharmed by the falling ceiling, let another tear fall down his cheek. "Grimmjow! Grimmjow are you okay?!" he shouted when he saw the empty look on the Arrancar's face.

Grimmjow did not reply. Instead, he simply coughed out more blood and fell forward, letting his body slide along the stinger that he was unable to stop from reaching Ichigo.

Unsure of exactly what to do, and feeling very guilty that Grimmjow needed to protect him, Ichigo let Zangetsu slip from his fingers and fall to the ground with a loud clanging sound, then caught hold of his savior and let him rest over his right shoulder. Reaching up, he put both his hands on Grimmjow's back and squeezed his vest tightly. So tightly, in fact, that one would think Grimmjow would be ripped from his grasp if he were to let him go. Just as his own heartbeat increased and hyperventilation was upon him, Ichigo heard a muffled voice echoing faintly in his head. What it was saying he could not tell.

"ICHIGO! YOU NEED TO PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER!" Zangetsu's voice rang out, breaking through the barriers of shame and guilt Ichigo had put up. "I know the sight of blood is often times crippling for you, and I know it hurts seeing that man fall before your eyes, but you can't save anyone if you stay sitting around in your own guilt! Think of the times you saved that man in Los Noches when you cast all your doubts aside for his sake! If you surrender to these enemies and render yourself paralyzed, you'll both perish and your journey will end here! Don't you want to see Inoue Orihime again?!"

"…!" Taking in a breath very quickly and shaking himself out of his crippled state, Ichigo realized that Zangetsu was right. If he stayed like this, he'd never save Grimmjow, nor would he see Inoue again! Not to mention he wouldn't ever return to Seireitei to see his family and friends again! "You're… you're right! I can't… let it end  _here_!" he shouted with absolute determination.

Thinking in his best interest and Grimmjow's, he took hold of the thick, black stinger and snatched it out of their bodies, grimacing at the pain it caused his leg and also at the earsplitting shout Grimmjow gave when he did, then tossed it aside. Grimmjow's lower abdomen bled out even more than it had before, and so did Ichigo's thigh, but he had to ignore it for now. The remaining drones were upset about their queen's demise and were hovering above, stingers at the ready. Taking everything about this situation into consideration, Ichigo had no concern for the lives of these mindless drones. His family, his friends, and Grimmjow were all counting on him to succeed here! The moment he saw the drones fire their stingers, he took Zangetsu into his hand and wasted no time in coating the area above in his dark, signature Gestuga Tensho.

Once the drones' lifeless bodies fell crashing to the ground, followed by more pieces of the roof, Ichigo sighed a heavy breath of relief and panted against the heavy figure leaning on him. "Grimmjow, I'll treat you in just a second… We came here for the crystal, and that's what we're getting!" he shouted, and then laid the large man down against some rubble.

"Then stop wasting time and get to it!" Grimmjow replied, covering his wound to keep blood from escaping; though he wasn't doing a very good job as the blood leaked through his fingers.

With a nod, Ichigo stood up and turned to Suzumebachi. He made his way over the many piles of collapsed roof, making sure to avoid any areas where the roof was still caving in, and aimed his sword at her. "The crystal, I'm taking it." He said with commanding awe.

"Oh yeah?! I'm not handing it over to the likes of you after what you've done!" Suzumebachi roared crossly. For a split second, she saw Ichigo's eyes go wide. Then she saw him swing his ebony blade in her direction, only to have that heavy crescent wave of his miss her completely. "YOU MISSED, YOU FOOL! That wasn't even close! Try aiming next ti- huh?!" turning, she saw multiple pieces of the roof coming down above her. "OH N-"

A forceful quake resulted as the last pieces of the roof hit the temple floor where she was. Grimmjow looked up and saw that even the roof above him in the main corridor was crumbling. "Shit…" he grunted like this was just a bad day altogether, and then strained himself to sit up. Normally he could just destroy things like falling rocks, but his wound was much more than he could handle now that he had lost his full power. Ever since that loathsome little shit Tousen had taken his left arm from him, he'd become more vulnerable to many things that he could have normally shaken off. He still had intentions on paying him back for that… The roof above gave in, and before Grimmjow could do anything, he saw a blaze of black come and envelop him. When he opened his cerulean eyes he found himself safely outside, lying up against a tree. "…"

The Zanpakutō fairy spirit was floating in the air not far from him with her arms folded and an exasperated expression plastered on her face.

Ichigo came out from the temple's main entrance with the crystal in hand. After placing it in his pocket, he hurried over to Grimmjow and pulled his medical bag off his back. Without a word, he assessed the damage and saw that none of Grimmjow's organs had been harmed. In fact, the stinger had run right past them. It seemed that he'd gotten lucky today. As he moved up to check Grimmjow's airway, his eyes met the Arrancar's vibrant ones and he averted his gaze. "Open your mouth for me." He told him. When Grimmjow did, he moved in close and put his ear in front of his mouth to make sure his breathing was okay. Thankfully it sounded normal. The blood he had spit up earlier didn't seem to indicate a problem for his breathing. For some reason, as he moved on to applying pressure to the wound with a ripped piece of his own clothing, Ichigo decided to ask a question he'd been wanting to know the answer to. "Grimmjow, why did you protect me?"

He received no response. In fact, Grimmjow stared off into the jungle as though he hadn't heard anything at all.

"Why did you protect me?" he asked once more, applying more pressure than was necessary to the wound as he did.

Grimmjow's face contorted from the sheer pain and he drew in a sharp breath through his clenched teeth, "Shit! Stop making this worse! You know the fucking answer to why I did! I need you to stay alive so I can regain my full power!"

Sighing in complete disappointment, Ichigo pulled out some ointment from his bag and applied a small amount of it to the entrance and exit wounds before he dressed the lower part of Grimmjow's abdomen with gauze. "Was that the only reason?"

"What other reason  _could_  there be?" Grimmjow asked seriously. Almost too seriously, in fact…

Finishing his treatment, Ichigo pressed down on Grimmjow's wound too hard again and rolled his eyes at the man's resulting threats. For the first time in a while, he took note of the dark scar that ran down the man's torso. That battle they'd had outside Los Noches seemed so long ago now… And that scar. That scar was a symbol, a physical testament of his influence on Grimmjow. Conversely, the scar Grimmjow had given him was an emotional one. It was one that would never, ever fade away: the memory of the night he'd been taken and devoured by this man. "…" He now had very mixed feelings about that night. "Well, anyway… thank you for what you did." He told him.

"I wouldn't have needed to save you if you could take care of yourself."

Ichigo rolled his eyes and huffed, "…Way to ruin the moment… And for your information, I didn't get as far as I have today by being saved. I believe I saved you quite a few times before, actually. …That queen bee had a paralyzing gaze that just… got me…" he said. When he heard a pair of tiny wings flapping behind him, he turned around and gasped at what he saw.

"You're asking him this question, but I want to know why  _you_  saved  _me_." Suzumebachi said, holding the crystal in her hands.

"Hey! When did you take that from-"

"I'm much faster than you think. The only reason I needed saving was because I didn't think the entire roof would be completely destroyed…" The spirit interrupted. After looking Ichigo and Grimmjow over, she gripped the crystal angrily. "I won't just let you intruders walk away with this." She said.

"KILL HER! Kill the bitch now, Kurosaki!" Grimmjow roared.

"No, there's always another way!" Ichigo retorted, and then turned to smile up at Suzumebachi. "I saved you because you didn't deserve to die. And despite what Grimmjow wants, we didn't come here to fight. I'm just trying to bring my friend home from the King's High Palace. Collecting the crystals will allow me to do that."

Grimmjow's face turned up in a mug and he looked away, too annoyed at Ichigo's good nature to even look at him anymore.

"Why should I believe you,  _human_?" Suzumebachi asked, suspicion evident in her tone and very visible from her squinted eyes.

"Because… I'm not on this journey for myself. I'm actually doing this… well, I'm doing it out of love." Ichigo replied sincerely. The look on his face was unmistakably one of someone who was utterly and undeniably smitten by someone.

Cerulean eyes going wide, Grimmjow turned back to stare at Ichigo's backside and found himself oddly angered at the boy's statement. Kurosaki was doing this because he loved this girl? And that made him upset…?

Why was that, he wondered. It didn't make any sense to him that he cared at all who Kurosaki had feelings for. Wasn't he just another stepping stone on his path to being the king of Los Noches?

"Take the crystal." Suzumebachi commanded, then flew down and forced it into Ichigo's hands.

"Th-thank you! I promise I'll return it once I'm finished with it!" the boy replied with an elated facial expression.

"Hmph! There's no need for that. It will return on its own once you've fulfilled your duty with it."

"Really?"

"Yes. Now don't linger in my jungle for much longer or I may just change my mind and take it back!"

"R-right!" Ichigo said before standing up. When he offered his hand to Grimmjow, he frowned when the man shrugged him off and stood on his own. Doing so obviously pained the man as he saw him put his hand over his wound when he got on his feet.

Without a word, Grimmjow walked past Ichigo and Suzumebachi, heading back to the path that they'd traveled to get here so he could use it to get out of this jungle as soon as possible. The quicker he left, the quicker he'd lose the feeling of wanting to murder that annoying fairy… or Kurosaki.

Ichigo watched him for a few seconds before following after him. "Grimmjow! Wait for me!" he called. "Oh, and I'm really sorry about the temple!" he told Suzumebachi over his shoulder.

Squinting, Suzumebachi turned and stared at her ruined temple for a second, and then turned back, "Like an apology will reconstruct the main room! Foolish human!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget to leave a comment!


	40. redheaded vice-captain kenjou and a melancholy town

A gentle wind blew its way through the tall trees in the deep, vast jungle, lightly howling as it danced through the leaves. The day was still quite young, the bright sunlight peeking through the treetops from the center of the sky was proof of that.

Ichigo, feeling a tad anxious, momentarily stared at the man walking a few paces ahead of him. Ever since he and Grimmjow left the jungle temple, there had been nothing but harsh silence between them. Grimmjow absolutely refused to say a word to him or even look back to check to see if he was still behind him.

But Ichigo was beginning to grow out of his need of Grimmjow's attention. Instead of driving himself insane from trying to figure out why it was his Arrancar traveling companion was being so quiet and distant, he instead reached into his bag and pulled the map out to look it over. Piecing together their journey would certainly make for a better activity than racking his brain wondering if he should talk to Grimmjow. Looking back down to the map, he saw that there were three temples close to them at this point: the Deep Sea temple, the Island Archipelago temple, and the Lightning Clouds temple. "Which one should we try our hand at…?" he asked himself quietly. There were two straightforward choices, but the Deep Sea temple was just a large red circle out in the ocean region… As he came to the jungle's exit, he looked up from the map and saw that there was a massive green field ahead that sprawled out in every direction on either side of the path he'd been walking. It was truly a magnificent sight to see; something even the plains outside of Seireitei couldn't compare to. Far off to the left was the vibrant blue ocean, its surface shimmering brightly from reflected sunlight.

The wind blowing through the jungle made its way out and across the knee-high grass, making almost fluid-like reflections appear from the sun's light as it did. After taking a glance down to the map again, Ichigo still had the question before him of which temple to visit next. He decided that choice should be something he and Grimmjow decided together. They were partners… or something like it, after all. With that thought in mind, he increased his walking pace and tried catching up to the man, "Grimmjow!" he called.

He got no response whatsoever. It was very clear now that he was being ignored.

"Hey!" he shouted. When he reached Grimmjow's side, he looked him in the face. "Why won't you answer me?"

"…"

"You know, I hate it when you do this to me...!" the orange-head nearly shouted. "What the hell is your problem anyway?"

Grimmjow finally turned and looked down at Ichigo, his bright blue eyes were quite piercing, "You're my problem." He said.

" _I'm_  your problem?" Ichigo scoffed and came to a dead stop on the path to emphasize his reaction.

Grimmjow also stopped. "Yeah, that's right."

"Oh! Well, forgive me for trying to get your arm healed for you! If you had a problem with that, then why did you even come along with me?!"

"Just… shut up… I don't feel like arguing with you right now."

"Fine! …Not like I wanted to argue with  _you_!"

Ichigo went off the path and walked through the tall grass, and after a few seconds of standing with a somewhat annoyed expression on his face, Grimmjow did the same.

Once he'd gotten a little ways away from his incredibly insufferable companion, who was honestly starting to seem like a millstone, Ichigo took a chance to look over his shoulder. To his surprise, Grimmjow had disappeared from plain sight. He started worrying about him for a moment, but then quickly he remembered who it was he was thinking about. Grimmjow Jaegerjaques didn't need protection from anything. After all, he was no child by any means apart from his overwhelming desire to have everything catered to his desires. Ichigo came to the conclusion that the man was practically a demon in human skin when he considered all he'd seen him do since they'd met. There was no way Grimmjow needed protection. In fact, it was  _the world_  that needed protection from him. Having the Arrancar right under his nose was probably for the best...

When he came across a large boulder in the grass, he hopped up onto it and sat down. Deciding the next place to go was supposed to have been a team effort, but Grimmjow shot that horse in the face with that comment. " _I'm_  the problem…? Yeah right…" He said, then looked around the plains. Off in the far distance he spotted a town with a small forest just behind it. He wouldn't have noticed it had he not sat atop the boulder he was sitting on. It was down a large hill in a northwestern direction from the jungle. Looking the map over one last time, he saw that that town was where the next temple would be. "Guess we'd better go there first. Then the next one would be… Well, I don't know about the Deep Sea temple… or how we would even get there… Seems like we'd better go for the Island Archipelago crystal after we get this one." He said quietly, then folded the map up and put it away.

Hopping off the boulder, he headed back to the path. "Grimmjow!" he called as he looked around for said man. Nothing could be heard but the sound of the gentle breeze. "C'mon Grimmjow. We need to keep moving. Aren't you eager to get your arm back so you won't have to see my face anymore?"

"Hey, don't try to make me seem like the bad guy." Grimmjow's raspy voice came from out of the tall grass, "This is  _your_  selfish journey and you know it. I'm just an excuse for you; a way to help you find solace in your own selfishness."

Pinpointing Grimmjow's location, Ichigo walked through the grass and then found him lying on his back with his right hand resting underneath his head. He knelt down right beside Grimmjow and spoke, "What is  _that_  supposed to mean?"

"I just told you that."

"…Grimmjow, why are you so  _mad_  at me? And why are you persecuting me? I'm only trying to  _help_  you… Our traveling together was not something I decided because I needed a charity case. I want to help you because… because…" Cerulean eyes staring at Ichigo piercingly made him nervously turn away. "I genuinely want to help you."

"Tch… Tell yourself whatever helps you sleep at night, kid." Grimmjow said as he sat up and stood on his feet.

Ichigo sighed very heavily and stood up as well, "I'll never figure you out." He commented with complete frustration.

"Are you done? Because I'm just as ready to get this over with as you are."

"We're going to the temple of Lightning Clouds next. It's in that town that's just a ways off."

"I can see that." Grimmjow commented with a tone that did not go unnoticed, and then started on his way in the town's direction.

Taking a glance up to the sky, Ichigo closed his eyes and absorbed the sun's warm energy. He tried taking a few breaths as well, anything to calm himself down. Grimmjow was being more of an ass than he usually was and he couldn't figure out why. When he opened his eyes, they landed on the tiny speck that was the High Palace floating over the mountains so far away that it almost faded into the clouds on the horizon.  _"Inoue…"_  For her, he would keep going. For her, and even for Grimmjow, he would deal with the many,  _many_  trials of this journey.

* * *

After some silence and appropriate time to let himself calm down, Ichigo decided to be the mature one and caught up to Grimmjow before they reached the town. "Hey…" he muttered.

"What?" Grimmjow asked, keeping his eyes on the town before him as he walked.

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry that we're not getting along so well. And I'm sorry for helping you. And making you mad for whatever reason I did…"

"Okay."

"Stop, Grimmjow." Ichigo ordered, and stopped on the brick path that led to the large town.

"What do you want now?" Grimmjow asked with a huff, doing as he was told and turning to face the boy.

Ichigo took a look at the tall, thick, wooden gate surrounding the town as he started speaking, "Listen, I've heard some rumors going around Seireitei about this place. It's not the safest town as of late, so we need to stick together and have each other's backs. Whatever problems you have with me can be dealt with later. For now, let's work together to get this crystal. All we really have is each other right now. There's no telling what kinds of things may be happening here."

"…"

"Grimmjow, I'm serious. We need to cooperate-"

"Fine. We can work together. But understand and remember this: when everything's said and done, you'll be going home with your girl and I'll be going home to my kingdom. That's how it was always meant to be. Hell, this journey is proof of that and you know it because you know  _why_  I want my arm back."

Ichigo closed his eyes for a second, nodded, and then opened his eyes again to look down to the ground in disappointment. All he could think was how true it was that Grimmjow only wanted to be crowned. He didn't care about him or anything else but Los Noches' throne. "If that's how you want it, then that's how it'll be." He said, then walked past the taller man, making sure to avoid looking at him as he did.

"You there!" someone called from behind the two.

Both Ichigo and Grimmjow turned around and saw a man approaching them on horseback.

When he got close, his intense red hair made Ichigo think it was Renji for a moment. However, as soon as he got a look at the man's face, he knew that he was far more handsome than Renji was. He had stubble for a mustache and beard, making him also seem more mature than Renji. The closer he got, the more visible his features became. He had light brown eyes, which were complimented in some strange way by a small scar beneath his right eye. His brow was that of a man. And he wore a serious expression on his face that said he had seen more battle than someone his age, about early to mid thirties, should have seen.

"Who're  _you_?" Grimmjow asked rudely.

"Wh- That's my line!" the man replied childishly as he came to a stop just behind Ichigo and Grimmjow.

"I asked you first-"

"We're just travelers! Please forgive my… impatient friend… We've been on the road for a while so he's just a bit uneasy." Ichigo interrupted, moving in front of Grimmjow to keep him quiet, "We're only here to visit the town's temple."

After his light brown eyes traveled down to Ichigo's ebony sword, suspicion found its way to the redheaded man's face. "Oh? What do you want to go there for?"

"Should you be so concerned? There is a guardian there, right?"

"Hmm, I suppose that is true…"

"Judging from your cloak, you seem like a traveler." Ichigo observed.

"Who, me?! No, no!" the man laughed, "I'm vice-captain of the police department in this town. My name is Kenjou. And you?"

"I'm Kurosaki, Ichigo." The orange-head said, then half turned and motioned to Grimmjow with his hand, "This is my traveling companion, Grimmjow J-"

"It's just Grimmjow." Grimmjow interrupted and looked off into the distance.

Ichigo was surprised that Grimmjow of  _all_  people didn't want to make a big deal about who he was. That was his M.O. after all.

"Oh, well okay. It's nice to meet you two. Will you come with me into town? I will let the guards know you're permissible." Kenjou said.

Quickly, Ichigo tossed his bewilderment about Grimmjow aside and flashed a smile at Kenjou, "That would be great!" he said.

With a nod, Kenjou slapped his horse on the rear and had it take him past Ichigo and Grimmjow.

Grimmjow stuffed his hand into his pocket and closed his eyes. If he could get into this town without issue, then that would expedite this process of collecting crystals.

"Hey Grimmjow." Ichigo whispered once Kenjou was out of earshot.

"What?"

The look Grimmjow gave was one that made Ichigo forget himself altogether for a moment. With all their arguing lately, he hadn't taken time to inwardly marvel at how handsome Grimmjow was. "…Uh… Oh. Why did you not want him to hear your full name?" he asked.

"Because I'm royalty, dipshit. The people out here probably know about the nine princes and the princess of Los Noches kingdom. I wanna keep a low profile, and anyone would recognize me by my last name. Aren't you supposed to be smart?"

"Ugh…"

Kenjou stopped on his horse and looked over his shoulder, "Are you two coming?"

"Y-yeah!" Ichigo said, and then started walking.

Grimmjow did the same without acknowledging Kenjou's question.

* * *

"So how long have you two been traveling together?" Kenjou asked, breaking the silence between them as they walked through the town. He was on foot now since he'd left his horse at a stable near the gates when they got inside.

"Um, not too long. A few days really... It's actually just by chance that we wound up together." Ichigo answered, and then started recalling how big a journey they'd already had together prior to this one where Inoue was the goal.

"Oh? So you're a couple then?"

"Wh- NO! I didn't mean it like  _that_! We're just traveling together, that's it!" one could not fully describe how red Ichigo's cheeks were becoming. He actually had to turn away to avoid Grimmjow noticing. It was just like when Nel had teased him all those times before.

"Heh, I was only teasing you. Don't be so serious or someone might get the wrong idea." Kenjou said with a grin.

Grimmjow rolled his eyes.

As they got further into town, Ichigo took a chance to look around and make some observations about it. First, he noticed there weren't many people out even though it was only just past afternoon. Second, all of the windows on the homes and shops were either boarded up or barred. Third, there were large numbers of burnt newspapers scattered all around. Finally, there were a few areas on the ground that looked charred, as if struck by fire or lightning. This place was nothing like Seireitei. "Kenjou-san…" he said.

"Yes?"

"What's going on in this town? Why does everyone out seem so afraid to just be walking around, and why are all the windows barred? This place is really… depressing… Like no one here actually wants to live here…"

"You noticed that quite quickly. The answer to your question is there has been civil unrest thanks to an unrelenting group of people called the 'Raiders' who sack this town frequently, if you can believe that." The redheaded man responded. "Before that, this place was a very nice place to live."

"How long has this been going on?"

Bringing his hand up to his chin, Kenjou seemed to consider that very seriously. "For about three weeks." He finally answered, "The Raiders suddenly came out of nowhere saying they wanted money and the crystal in the temple. I sort of understand them wanting money, but not the crystal…"

"That  _is_  pretty strange. Why would they want the crystal? Think they want to sell it?"

"No… It seems what they want is wealth  _and_  power. Rumor has it if infused with the human body, the crystal from the temple will grant the wielder the power of lightning. You'll have to forgive me, as I was a little suspicious of you two when we first met the moment you said you were going to the temple until you mentioned the guardian. The Raiders have never shown any actual knowledge of the temple, and none of them seem smart enough to realize there is one protecting the crystal. Of course, they can't figure it out because I have a rotating squad keeping it tightly guarded at all times. It is out of our hands to protect the crystal itself, but not the temple. That doesn't stop them from taking the money and valuables of the townspeople, though... We have such a hard time keeping the temple safe that the people sometimes fall by the wayside… And the attacks are sporadic so we can't predict where or when they'll happen. It's just a big mess, really."

"That sounds terrible. So what were you doing out of town? Why would you leave the people if they needed you?"

"I was out on private business. Also, I was following a lead about the Raiders' hideout." Kenjou answered.

Grimmjow's cerulean eyes gleamed. He had a strange feeling about the man walking beside Ichigo. Something about him seemed, and even smelled, suspicious.

"Hm, I understand following a lead. But private business…? Do you have a secret lover or something?" Ichigo teased with a smile.

Kenjou's serious demeanor did not change in the slightest. "It was private business. I'm not at liberty to discuss it."

"Fair enough, I guess."

Grimmjow didn't like how comfortable Kurosaki and this Kenjou person were getting. Through squinted eyes, he watched them talk to each other like they were old friends. It's not like he was about to jump into the conversation, though. He all out didn't like Kenjou, and he and Kurosaki weren't on the best of terms… Plus, they didn't have much to talk about anyway. He hadn't ever been a very social person, so instead of jumping in and being awkward, he just kept quiet and then started tuning them out as they continued down the town's central avenue. It wasn't like he  _wanted_  to talk to Kurosaki without arguing…

Nope.

Not at all.

It's what they were best at, after all.

Once the three of them reached a four-way split in the avenue, Kenjou turned to Ichigo. "You'll reach the temple if you continue on this road. It's located at the head of this town, conveniently enough." He told him.

"Okay. But… where are you going?" Ichigo asked.

"Back to the Captain. I'm sure our paths will cross again, though. Don't run into any trouble, or cause any, until then."

"Right. Thank you for guiding us, Kenjou-san."

"Goodbye for now Kurosaki-chan and Grimmjow-san."

Grimmjow held his tongue from cursing this man to the pits of Hell and back, but Ichigo smiled, "See you soon." He said, and then looked at Grimmjow to silently ask if he would also say goodbye. It was clear he wasn't going to.

With a bow, Kenjou turned and headed back the way they'd come.

Ichigo returned the bow and watched as he disappeared into a crowd, his bright hair even disappearing in the waves of grays, browns, and blacks of the clothes the townspeople wore. He assumed he was going to the police station, as that would be where the captain of the police would likely be. Plus, it made sense that more people would be centered near it. They probably felt safe being close to the law enforcement. Out of the corner of his eye, he happened to see a child wander off from his mother, and the woman quickly ran after him.

"Don't get away from me, Sen! Those Raiders might take you like they took your father!" he heard her say when she caught him.

"I'm sorry!" the boy responded, "I just wanted to see the dog in the alley…"

"Be more careful! If I lost you… I would have nothing left…" she said regrettably, and then started crying. She even covered her face with her hand and fell to her knees.

Ichigo stopped looking when he realized he was staring at the woman. He knew it was incredibly rude. When he looked around, a lot of the townspeople seemed very on edge, as if something terrible would happen at any minute.

When he heard Grimmjow start heading towards the temple, he turned. "Grimmjow" he called.

"What?"

Ichigo had a look on his face that did everything but hide the seriousness in his heart, "Let's help these people out of this mess with the Raiders."


	41. trial of lightning clouds

Ichigo stopped looking when he realized he was staring at the woman. He knew it was incredibly rude. When he looked around, a lot of the townspeople seemed very on edge, as if something terrible would happen at any minute.

When he heard Grimmjow start heading towards the temple, he turned. "Grimmjow" he called.

"What?"

Ichigo had a look on his face that did everything but hide the seriousness in his heart, "Let's help these people out of this mess with the Raiders."

…

"Help them? What can we do for these peasants that they can't already do for themselves?" Grimmjow asked as he turned and walked back over to the shorter man.

"We have more power than they do. None of these people here have Zanpakutō like we do. Kenjou-san may have a sword, but I think it's just a standard one… so I doubt even the police can do too much to help these people. …When I see people in need like this, I can't just sit around twiddling my thumbs. I have to do something."

Grimmjow stood silently for a short moment, but he replied nonetheless, "Is that why you're helping me?"

"…It's part of the reason I am, yes. But there's more to it than just that… And I don't think you're  _so_  in need, but even still, I do want to help. Anyway, Grimmjow, let's help them. We can do it together, I know it." The orange-haired boy said with a warm smile.

"Tch… Whatever. Let's get this over with."

Ichigo nodded. "Right! Let's go to the temple and get all the information we can from the guardian."

Stepping back, Grimmjow let the temple that was all the way at the head of the town and up the hill be clear for Ichigo. "Lead the way." He told him.

* * *

"…Wow… it's much taller than I first thought it was…" Ichigo commented on the façade as he and Grimmjow reached the temple of Lightning Clouds, "It's pretty gothic in style…"

"Is that a lightning rod up there?" Grimmjow asked, squinting to see if it actually was one.

Ichigo looked up to the highest point, "Yeah, looks like one. There are apparently very dangerous thunderstorms that pass this town, so they constructed this temple to protect themselves by absorbing the thunder and lightning that got close to the town. Apparently, they were so powerful when they struck that they destroyed many homes before this temple was built. …Well… that's what is said in Seireitei."

Taking a moment to look around the temple, Grimmjow also noticed how isolated it was, "It's kinda off on its own."

"I'd assume so. The people probably worship this place for solving their problems. Why not make it something to be revered and respected by giving it its own space in town?"

"When one storm ends, another begins." Grimmjow commented, referring to the apparent Raiders problem.

"I know. But that's why we're gonna help them out! Let's go inside." Ichigo said confidently, and then started climbing the stairs that led to the temple entrance.

Grimmjow stared at him for a brief moment in contemplation, then headed up the stairs as well.

…

As he made his way through the almost pitch black hallway that led inside the temple, Ichigo immediately noticed the many rows of pews that filled the main room when he entered it. The room itself had stained glass windows that stretched up to the ceiling, and the sunlight pouring through them made the walls themselves become stained with vibrant colors. A number of chandeliers were hung from the center of ceiling also filled the room with soft light. Overall, the space gave the impression that it was a place of worship.

Once he'd taken in the temple's ambience, Ichigo noticed a man kneeling before an altar against the front wall. On that altar, there was a dimly glowing object that he immediately assumed was the crystal he sought. Heading up the main aisle and getting closer to the altar, he spoke, "Um, excuse me." He called.

Grimmjow lazed into the main room from the hallway and followed Ichigo. Though, when the boy continued on past the center of the room, he stopped and took a seat at one of the pews. Why not let Kurosaki do all the talking? He seemed so fond of it, after all.

"Greetings, mortal." The man from the front altar said as he stood to his full height and faced Ichigo. This man had very similar features to Wabisuke. He had long, dark gray hair that fell around his shoulders almost elegantly, apart from the two bangs that stopped just beside his chin. His skin, unlike Wabisuke's, wasn't dark in any sense. In fact, it was almost sun-kissed. His eyes weren't as inviting as many of the people's in Seireitei that Ichigo had grown used to, though. This person was definitely the Zanpakutō spirit copy that guarded this temple, however, whose Zanpakutō he was a copy of escaped the boy.

"Hello. You're the guardian of this temple, right?"

"That's correct. I am Chōjirō Sasakibe's Gonryōmaru. I can see by the Zanpakutō at your waist that you are from Seireitei."

Ichigo looked down to Zangetsu with a fond look on his face and in his auburn eyes. "Yeah. That's right." But he quickly turned his attention back to the spirit and became very serious. "I'll be honest with you, Gonryōmaru-san. I'm here to claim that crystal on the altar."

"So you've gone rogue from your kingdom and joined the Raiders?!" Gonryōmaru accused.

"No. I'm not associated with them at all. I'm going to see the King, and I need the crystals to do that. I've already collected two of them. The guardians themselves allowed me to walk away with them." The boy replied, pulling off his travel bag and then taking them out to prove himself.

"The crystal of Darkness and the Jungle crystal, huh?"

"Yes. We mean no harm. I'm Kurosaki, Ichigo." Ichigo said, then lifted his thumb and pointed it back over his shoulder at his travel partner, "And that person back there is Grimmjow Jaegerjaques."

Gonryōmaru took a few steps closer to Ichigo in the large room. "I see. Well, Kurosaki-dono and Jaegerjaques-dono, I cannot simply hand the crystal over to you for two reasons. The first reason is because I need you to prove yourselves worthy of the crystal. That will ultimately prove your worth to the king, since that is part of the reasons the crystals exist." He said.

"And the second reason?"

"Simply put, the crystal is not intact."

Grimmjow raised an eyebrow.

"It's broken…? How'd that happen?" Ichigo asked.

"Well, a little while ago, someone broke into the temple and tried stealing the crystal right out from under my nose. I gave a quick chase and caught him outside before he escaped, but the crystal hit the ground fairly hard when I did… This caused it to break in two, right down the middle. Unfortunately, the robber got away with the missing half of the crystal."

Ichigo felt himself growing a bit discouraged. If someone out there in town had the other piece crystal, there was no way to find it easily.

"Let me ask you this, Kurosaki-dono. Will you help this town? If you two can successfully solve the Raiders problem, and if you can recover the other half of the Lighting Clouds' crystal, then I will consider you allies and you may take the crystal on your journey." Before Ichigo could respond, Gonryōmaru raised his hand to stop him, "With a heart like yours, so pure and determined, you've already decided to help the people of this town out of this crisis, haven't you?"

Ichigo almost sweatdropped, "Well…"

"Kurosaki-dono, please be safe in your efforts to solve this compromising issue. I sense a very powerful storm is coming… Whoever took the other half of the crystal is using it to call it forth, so do what you can before it hits."

"And just how long do we have before this storm hits?" Grimmjow interjected.

"It will likely be here by at least nine o'clock tonight. The Raiders will probably invade the town by then and be gone since the person who is summoning it is one of them. He was wearing one of their masks to cover his face…"

Ichigo nodded to show his understanding, then put the crystals back into his bag. "We'll definitely help this town out of this mess." He said.

"I suggest you speak with the police. They may have intel that would be most helpful in your pursuit of these criminals." Gonryōmaru suggested.

Seeing that the conversation was over, Grimmjow stood up and headed to the temple exit without uttering a word.

"We won't let you or this town down." Ichigo said. Then, he also headed to the temple's exit. "Grimmjow." He called once he got outside.

"What?" said man responded, looking over his shoulder after he did.

"I think we should split up in a bit."

"Why?"

"Well, while handling this issue, we need to gather as much information as possible. Every testimony could put this into better perspective for us. So I'll go to the police department and talk to some investigators and the chief. When it gets near evening, we should be on lookout. For now though, you go to the gates and I'll stay in town. We'll both be looking for any suspicious activity."

"…" Grimmjow half-turned and looked at the town below.

"Or… we can stay together if you don't like that idea." Ichigo continued, and then bumped his shoulder against the taller man's when he came up beside him.

"Nah, let's split up."

"Okay. Do you want to come with me to the police department before going to scope out the gate? You can get more information if you do."

"Sure."

"Let's go then."

* * *

"Kenjou-san, please help us!"

"Those Raiders have become too much of a problem, and if they're not stopped… well who knows what'll become of this town!"

"I can't be out later than five o'clock without worrying about my safety!"

Standing on the stairs to the police department with a very concerned look on his face, Kenjou tried his best to listen to all the townspeople as they told him about the Raiders. None of them were giving him solid information to go on, which is what he wanted. They were mostly just complaining. But even still, he had a duty to them. "Calm down everyone! We're doing all we can to try predicting their next attack, and we think we may have predicted when they'll attack next." He announced to the small group. Many of them seemed pleased to hear that. It was true. Even Captain Ukko agreed when he heard about their next attack. Over the crowd, he saw Ichigo and Grimmjow coming his way. "I'd like to hear more from you all. Please go inside and tell Aiko to record any information and accounts you have about the Raiders and I will read them later."

A few from the crowd walked on pat him, probably having actual information to share, and those who didn't dispersed. Just as they left, Ichigo and Grimmjow arrived.

"Hello, Kenjou-san." Ichigo smiled.

"Nice to see you again, Kurosaki-chan, Grimmjow-san."

"We're here to see if we can get some information on the Raiders." Ichigo said.

"Are you planning to help us?"

"Yup."

"Okay, let's-oh!"

An orange eyebrow rose, "What is it?"

"The captain is coming." Kenjou responded, and then stood to his full height.

Both Ichigo and Grimmjow turned around to see him. Indeed, someone was coming. He was a slightly older looking man, most likely in his late forties or early fifties. He had dark gray hair a gray beard to match. But even though he looked fairly advanced in age, he was still a powerful looking fellow. He was wearing a dark gray trench coat, and on his right hand, he was wearing a black glove.

"Good day, Captain Ukko!" Kenjou addressed, and then raised his hand up to his forehead to solute him.

"Kenjou." The man replied.

"Sir, I know you are busy, but we have two people here who are willing to help us solve this Raiders case."

The man stopped and looked Grimmjow over, then looked at Ichigo for a second, "These two? They're just kids; still wet behind the ears."

Grimmjow growled, "WHO'S A KID STILL WET BEHIND THE EARS?! I'LL RIP YOUR-" before he could finish, Ichigo grabbed hold of his mouth from behind with both his hands and held him in place.

Kenjou sighed, "We need all the help we can get. The guardian cannot stray from the temple, and none of the townspeople are brave enough for the task. As you know, our forces are stretched thin defending the gates as it is…" he said.

"If you want to take them in, go ahead. I have some things to take care of, so please give me about ten minutes."

"Of course, sir."

"Thank you." And with that, the man entered the police department.

Kenjou sighed. "Sorry about that…"

"It's okay." Ichigo assured as he released Grimmjow, "He's probably just stressed about all of this."

"Yeah, Captain Ukko is just like that sometimes. Though, I think this particular case is getting to him. It's been the one case he hasn't been able to quickly solve since he became Captain. His title is on the line with these hoodlums, in a manner of speaking."

"I have to deal with this one, so I kind of understand your struggle." The orange-head said jokingly, referring to Grimmjow.

"How long do you plan to stay in this town?" Kenjou asked.

"Well, we were hoping to get to the High Palace as soon as possible… So we're going to try solving this problem you all are facing as quickly and efficiently as we can."

"That's good to hear. I suggest you go to the inn and reserve rooms. There is a bad storm coming tonight, so you'd best be inside for it. Tell them I sent you and they will let you stay for free."

"Right. Thank you, Kenjou-san." Ichigo said, and then smiled.

"Come see me when you're done and we can discuss the attacks to  _try_  finding some consistency in their patterns." Kenjou continued.

"We will." The shortest of the three said, and then turned and headed on his way to the inn a few blocks away.

Grimmjow stared Kenjou, who seemed utterly oblivious since he was watching Ichigo leave, down for a moment, but followed after  _HIS_  mate anyway... or fuck toy… or travel partner… or whatever! The point was Kurosaki was  _not_  on the market for a new power top.


	42. tempestuous night

Quietly walking beside Ichigo with his face twisted up in a mug as the two of them headed towards the inn, Grimmjow started trying to think of the way he should phrase his curiosity on a certain matter.  _"You interested in that guy? Wanna spend the night with_ him _? Do you wish you were traveling with him instead of me? Should I pummel his face into the fucking dirt?!"_

Fuck! Why was this bothering him so much?!

"Hey Grimmjow." Ichigo said, coming to a stop in the street just outside the inn.

"H-HUH?! What?" Grimmjow replied quickly and stopped.

"Do you mind spending the night in a room with me?"

Feigning indifference, Grimmjow put his hand into his pocket. "I don't care. Not like we haven't a million times before…"

Ichigo's cheeks started reddening, "Y-yeah… right..." he mumbled, and then started walking up the stairs.

Grimmjow walked up the stairs as well and entered through the door after Ichigo did.

A woman, who was both short and somewhat plump, came to the front counter and smiled at the two when they came up to it. "How can I help you gentlemen today?" she asked. She had dark brown hair that was fading in color in some areas, making her seem as if she was a little past middle-aged. There was something fairly motherly about her, mostly in the warm look she wore. Her clothes were fairly old, probably because she was cleaning from the appearance of an apron and duster in said apron.

"Hi, we're traveling, and we just so happened to stop in this town. Earlier, we ran into Vice-Captain Kenjou-san, and he said for us to tell you he sent us here for a room. If that's okay…" Ichigo answered.

"Kenjou-kun, huh?" the woman smiled warmly after speaking his name. "I wish that boy would find a lovely young woman to settle down with... I've known him since he was just knee-high off the ground. He's such a sweet thing." She said as she pulled out a set of keys. "I'm sorry, but it looks like all we have available are the rooms with one bed. You're quite lucky to get one of those, though. I was sure we'd have a lot more visitors due to those storm clouds on the horizon."

"One bed is fine.  _He'll_  just sleep on the floor." Ichigo joked.

Grimmjow scoffed and squinted at him.

"Oh dear! You lost your arm?!" the woman asked Grimmjow when she saw him turn.

Out of the corner of his eye, Ichigo noticed that Grimmjow was beginning to turn red. "Uh, yeah! It was a while ago! But I'm helping him out now!" he told the woman.

"Aw, i'nt that sweet. Where are you two from?"

"We're from Seireitei and Los Noches."

"Kingdom dwellers?! What are you doing all the way out here in these parts?"

"Um, just traveling…"

"I've been to Seireitei. You know, I actually grew up there. My name's Chie, it's nice to meet you. My husband, Makoto, and I own this inn, but he's out hunting right now. He should be back before that storm hits, though."

"If you don't mind me asking, why did you leave Seireitei?" Ichigo asked.

"Oh! Um, well… As simply as I can put it, it was love that made me leave." Chie responded with a fondly reminiscent look in her eyes.

"Love?"

"My husband brought me here from Seireitei. I met him here when we were younger and he lived in this inn; it was his father's at the time. I didn't think much of him at first, but he really made me fall in love with him. He saved me from a pack of large wolves when I was out gathering flowers on a visit here, and that's when I realized I didn't want to leave him. After I went home, I wondered if I should have come back here for him. I asked for a sign and he came to see me out of the blue one day. That's when I decided to leave with him. He makes me happy… so incredibly happy. I can't say every day has been perfect, but we make it just fine together."

Ichigo found himself looking at Grimmjow for just a moment after hearing that before he turned back to Chie and replied, "That's… really amazing! It's not every day I hear about love stories. But… um, don't you miss Seireitei?"

"Only a little. I have some family there, so I visit at least twice a year. It's not so bad living here, though. This town is just as developed as they are. We just don't have the responsibility to look so nice and presentable for the High King."

"I see." Ichigo said. Taking the key in his hand, he bowed to Chie. "Thank you so much for the room, Chie-san. We really appreciate it."

"Oh, no problem! You two don't fight over the bed." The woman giggled, and then went into a back room behind the counter whilst fiddling with a set of keys.

"Right." The boy said.

Grimmjow took the key from Ichigo and then headed over to the stairs. "There won't be any fighting because  _I'm_  going to sleep in the bed."

Ichigo rolled his eyes instead of offering a retort, but followed after Grimmjow anyway.

* * *

Taking a step into his and Grimmjow's room on the fourth floor, Ichigo immediately took note of it. It was small, dimly lit by two gas lamps, and only had a single bed whose head was against the wall in the center of the room. It definitely was homey, if nothing else. Small and comfortable. "This is charming." He commented.

"Too fucking small." Grimmjow said as he walked over to the bed and fell onto it. "The bed's all mine."

"Whatever." Ichigo said, and then closed the door behind him.

At almost the exact same time, both of them noticed the mini fridge in the corner of the room. Ichigo ignored it and walked over to the window, only to find a beautiful view of the inn's courtyard. Grimmjow, however, hopped off of the bed and went over to it. Once he knelt down and opened it, he flashed a wicked grin at seeing a few bottles of rum inside. After taking a bottle out, he stood up and turned, then noticed Ichigo sitting on the bed. He was about to tell him to get off of it, but Ichigo spoke first, "Are you going to get drunk tonight?" the boy asked.

"Why not? It's about to storm, so we can't go out looking for trouble, now can we?"

"I guess not…"

"If you have a fucking problem, go spend the night with that redheaded clown." Grimmjow continued as he walked around to the other side of the bed and took a seat on it.

Ichigo turned around and stared at the Arrancar for a moment in thought before responding. "Grimmjow…. Are you…. are you jealous of Ken-" A knocking at the door interrupted him. Temporarily putting Grimmjow out of his mind, Ichigo stood, walked over to the door, and then opened it. "Chie-san?"

"Hello darling. I just came to check up on you. Are you boys enjoying the room?" the woman asked.

"We are. Thank you again for letting us stay here."

"It's no problem. Anyone sent by Kenjou-kun is welcome here anytime. By the way, I forgot to tell you both that there's a small party going on in the atrium with some of the other guests. There's free liquor if you boys are old enough to drink."

Grimmjow's interest was perked. Immediately, he got off the bed and walked past Ichigo. "Thanks for the tip." He told Chie, and then went on his way down the hallway.

"Eheheh…" Ichigo sweatdropped, but followed after Grimmjow.

"I'll be down shortly. I've got a few more guests to tell about the party." Chie called.

* * *

Inside the atrium, just as Chie had said, there was indeed a group of guests socializing and having their fill of liquor. It seemed to be their way of ignoring the ferocious storm that was beginning to rage outside. Under the protection of the glass roof, they could forget their fears and party the night away.

It must have been Chie's doing, this party. The benevolence personified that she was, she must have wanted to help melt away the fears many of these visitors and random townsfolk had been having with the Raiders and this storm.

Ichigo felt quite comfortable as he heard laughter and looked around at the many smiles decorating the room. When Grimmjow left his side and headed to one of the tables that had beers sitting on it, Ichigo tried ignoring him. Instead of paying too much attention to him, he took the chance to walk around and mingle with some of the people. When he heard the Raiders come up from behind, he immediately tuned out of the conversation happening before him and started listening in on the one behind him.

"Those good-for-nothing men need to stop robbing us working folk and get real jobs…"

"Don't forget about the others who have been kidnapped by them. Hopefully they're still alive…"

"Who do you think is the leader of those goons?" someone asked.

"I'm not sure. I think it might be Marido… He's been acting different lately." The person asked replied.

"I think it's Kenjou."

"…"

"…"

When a few others finally admitted that they agreed Kenjou must have been behind the temple raid, and that he was the Raiders' leader, Ichigo quietly picked up a bottle of rum from the table behind him. He wanted to seem more like he was engaging in the party, blending in, instead of standing around with nothing in his hands. Chie surprised him when they made eye contact from across the room by heading over to him with a very displeased look on her face.

The second she reached him, Ichigo jumped. However, she walked past him and stopped when she got to the people talking about Kenjou. "You all should be ashamed! Kenjou-kun would never be involved with the Raiders! Think of how malicious they are and try picturing him as their leader! It's not possible, is it?! He's been doing everything, driving himself to near insomnia, just to try solving this case! I've…" the woman stopped for a second and seemed to have something heavy on her heart, "I've known that child since he was just a little scamp! There's no way he could be behind this madness!" Not a single word was uttered from any of the people who had accused Kenjou. Ichigo looked over his shoulder and could see that many of them looked as if they felt very guilty for what they'd said. "Just because he isn't always in the town to listen to our pleas doesn't mean he's conspiring against us… He's most likely following leads about where the Raiders flee to when they're finished ransacking the town."

"S-sorry, Chie-san…"

"But in all his time of looking," one of the party-goers began, "Isn't it weird that they always manage to slip right from under his nose? Maybe he should hand the case over to Captain Ukko. Then it might get solved."

"He's going to take care of us. I believe in him." Chie assured, "You should, too. Captain Ukko can't do everything for us. That's why he has a Vice-Captain."

Only having just realized that he'd lost sight of Grimmjow, Ichigo slipped away from the conversations surrounding him and made his way around the large bushes and trees that covered the center of the atrium to find him.

It came as no surprise when he spotted the Arrancar going for another bottle of beer. "Grimmjow, we need to talk." He said as he went up to him.

"About what?" Grimmjow replied, and then took a very long swig of his drink.

Ichigo reached out and took the drink from Grimmjow, then placed it down on the table. "About Kenjou-san... and the Raiders."

"What's there to talk about?"

"Come with me." The shorter man said, before taking his counterpart by the arm and leading him back through the inn to their room.

With a very displeased look plastered on his face, Grimmjow took a seat on the bed, "I'm missing out on free rum, you know."

"Grimmjow… do  _you_  suspect that Kenjou is behind the temple raid?" Ichigo asked as he stood with his back against the door.

"It makes sense, doesn't it? He's an underling who is obviously unappreciated by the people around here. They suspect him, too. I could hear their conversations a mile away. And also, what's up with him leaving this town? We met him on our way here, remember? If he cared about these people, why is he leaving them?"

"I don't know… but Chie-san-"

"Is someone who is completely blinded by the fact that she watched him grow up. Of course she wouldn't believe he could do something like rob the town." Grimmjow interrupted, and then laid back and stretched out on the bed. "I think he might just be playing everyone in this place. Even you."

Ichigo locked the door and stayed with his back pressed up against it for a bit, contemplating what he'd just heard. Once he was ready, he walked over to the bed, and after taking a seat beside Grimmjow, he spoke again, "Are you just saying that because you're jealous of Kenjou-san?"

"What?!" Grimmjow asked, whipping his head to look at the boy, "I am  _not_  jealous of that guy."

"…" Of course Grimmjow would never admit anything like that. But Ichigo wasn't incapable of reading between the lines. He could tell that the camaraderie he and Kenjou had built over the short period of time that they knew him was getting to the Arrancar. "Let's just solve this problem." He decided to say, not wanting to taunt Grimmjow. After all, it was probably just his possessive personality. Back when Yammy threatened to have his way with him, although Yammy had assumed he was a woman, Grimmjow got overdramatic and angry. And there was also the time Grimmjow yelled at the Quinto Espada, Nnoitra, when he threatened Ichigo in the desert just outside Los Noches. It made him wonder if there were any moments similar to those that he didn't know about.

All in all, it seemed like Grimmjow harbored some surprising, incredible feeling of possessive protection over him.

With a small smile gracing his lips, Ichigo crawled up to Grimmjow and laid down on top of him with his chin on his chest.

"Why do you need to be so  _close_  to me?" the larger man asked, irritated.

"You know, Pantera told me that you and I are on equal terms now that you don't have your left arm… I guess I'm taking advantage of that. I'm going to be close to you, and if you try resisting, I'll fight you and make you endure it. Though, I'd do that even if you had your arm."

"…" Grimmjow closed his eyes and sighed.

Ichigo took that as his chance to move up and kiss him ever so lightly. Then, he reached up and threaded Grimmjow's soft hair in between his fingers, running it through many times. The resulting purrs Grimmjow emitted were… exciting to say the least. He really was like a reincarnated animal.

When Grimmjow abruptly sat up and laid him down on the bed, pinning his arms above his head with just one hand, Ichigo gasped. It was so sudden, so unexpected, that he couldn't do anything but that. His auburn eyes grew wide when Grimmjow moved down and took the hem of his shirt in between his teeth, then lifted it so his chest was exposed. He moaned, closing his eyes tight at the feeling of a warm and wet tongue running across one of his nipples. "Ugh!" he shouted when his other one was nibbled on.

"Thank goodness it's storming outside, or the entire inn would hear you." Grimmjow whispered, then continued his torture.

"Grimmjow…"

"What?"

"Don't stop… please…"

Grimmjow smirked. By night's end, he was going to show Kurosaki who he belonged to. "Oh, I won't." he said, then trailed his kisses down the boy's soft-skinned stomach until he reached the hem of his pants. Since he only had one hand, he had to release Ichigo's hands to be able to reach what it was he wanted.

Ichigo almost chuckled when he saw Grimmjow fiddling with his he belt to get it loose. Before he could offer his help, it was no longer needed. With a clank as the buckle hit the floor, the belt was no longer an obstacle. Slowly, he felt his pants sliding off his waist and legs, then watched as they joined his belt on the floor.

Grimmjow wasn't one to do what he was about to do… ever… but tonight was a bit different. He needed to show Kurosaki that he didn't need anyone else to pleasure him. Who he'd been with all along was all he needed. So, once he took Ichigo's very erect penis into his hand, he started stroking it, squeezing lightly every few seconds. Then, he leaned in and kissed the head, leaving his lips up against it to prepare himself.

"Grimmjow…"

"Shhh." The man said, and then took Ichigo's entire member into his mouth.

Ichigo quickly closed his eyes and bit his lower lip, throwing his head back and panting from the feeling. When Grimmjow started bobbing up and down on him, he brought his hands down and threaded his fingers in the soft, cerulean locks he loved so much. "God! Grimmjow! If you keep that up…"

Grimmjow smirked and started lightly biting Ichigo as he sucked him. He kept it up for quite a while, surprised at how long Kurosaki was lasting.

"I-I-" was all the boy could get out before he inevitably reached his peak. With a low, long moan, he tensed up and came in Grimmjow's mouth. "I'm sorry…"

Grimmjow pulled away and brought his fingers up to his lips. Careful not to spill anything more than he needed, he coated the palm of his hand with Ichigo's essence.

Ichigo watched eagerly as Grimmjow hovered over him and started stroking himself. "H-hurry..."

"What?"

"I said hurry…"

"Hurry?" the larger man teased as he pressed the tip of his penis up against the tight hole in front of him.

"Please… Don't tease me..."

"If I stopped right here and wanted to go to sleep, what would you do?"

"I'd… I don't know. You didn't get to… you know… I want you to as well."

"Where?"

"…Inside me."

"Heh." Grimmjow fell on top of Ichigo as he forced his way inside him, burying his face in the small of the boy's neck when he got in all the way.

Grimmjow's quick entrance made Ichigo tense up, grip the sheets, and close his eyes tight from the pain. He was thankful that the man stayed still for a few seconds to let him adjust. With their chests moving in sync and the feeling of Grimmjow's heartbeat up against his, he couldn't help but want to... "Grimmjow… …I…"

"Say it." Grimmjow whispered.

"Huh? Say what?"

"Tell me…"

"Tell you… what?"

Grimmjow smacked his lips, "When to start, idiot!"

"O-oh! You can start now..." Ichigo blushed, relieved that he hadn't been found out just yet.

Mercilessly, Grimmjow started moving in and out of Ichigo at a very fast pace. Even when he felt two hands start pushing him back, he kept going vigorously. "Don't fucking stop me, Kurosaki!" he panted into the pillow.

"Slow down, jeez!"

"Speed up, you say?"

"Grimmjow, why are you-UGH!"

"Why am I what?"

"What are you trying to prove?!" Ichigo huffed, grabbing the sheets tightly in his hands.

There was a very long silence. "…That I'm not old fucking news… and that I can still fuck you senseless." Grimmjow replied honestly as he slowed down a little.

"Grimmjow…" Ichigo breathed out. Grimmjow was more jealous of Kenjou than he had first imagined. It was so… unexpected and out of character for him. "Haah…" he moaned, "Slow down…  _please_ …"

Grimmjow grunted, but did as he was asked. He didn't want this to be uncomfortable, but he still wanted to prove himself… worthy… "…Kurosaki…"

"What?" Ichigo asked, his voice echoing right in the larger man's ear.

"You said I could cum inside you… Well I'm about to…"

"Alright." With the short time he was allotted, Ichigo reached up and gently ran his hands up and down Grimmjow's back, then wrapped his thighs around his waist. He needed to let him know that he still wanted him, wanted this, even if it was unspoken. He didn't want to say it for an important reason. If Grimmjow was under the impression that he could be lost to him, then that meant he was changing; becoming more aware of his own weaknesses and insecurities. Why disrupt such developments? Why stop him realizing that he couldn't always use strength to get what he wanted?

The second Grimmjow finished, he felt the warmth filling him up. Reaching down in between their stomachs, he started stroking himself until he peaked again.

Grimmjow slowly pulled out of Ichigo, and then laid on his back quietly.

Physically spent and panting, Ichigo moved over so he was closer to Grimmjow and got comfortable beside him. "We've got a big day ahead of us tomorrow, so make sure you get some sleep."

"Yeah…"

"Good night, Grimm."

"Night..." Grimmjow replied, and then rolled over so his back was to Ichigo. He didn't want to look the boy in the face right now because the thought of trying to outdo some random clown made him feel very displeased. Never in all his life had he  _competed_  for anyone. Ever since he was young, the people he sought out usually just gave in to him when he showed them how strong he was. The idea that others could take something he  _already_  saw as his… it was unnerving to say the least. This not only applied to Kurosaki. He still harbored a vendetta towards Seireitei for taking his men away… They were his, not Seireitei's. Though, he knew it was his own selfish actions that led to their deaths. That's the only reason he hadn't made the decision to personally destroy the kingdom.

Aizen would probably do that someday, anyway.

Getting back to the issue at hand, he ultimately knew there was only one thing to do to get out of the mess Kurosaki had gotten them into. So, after about twenty minutes, he looked over his shoulder and saw that the other had fallen asleep. It was still raining incredibly outside, the constant tapping against the roof and window being proof of that. But that didn't dissuade him.

After getting up and fixing his sex ruffled-clothes and slipping on his shoes, he grabbed up his Zanpakutō, put it in its holster on his waistband, then walked over to the door and took the handle into his hand. With a final glance over his shoulder at the orange-haired boy sleeping soundly on the bed with whom he'd come so far on this long journey with, Grimmjow left the room and made his way down the hallway. It didn't take him long to get out of the inn into the pouring rain.

There was somewhere important he needed to go, and being with Kurosaki right now wasn't going to get him there. This was his opportune moment to slip away, undetected and unquestioned by anyone. With rain falling heavily from the dark, almost black cloudy sky onto him, he made his way down the dark streets of the town plagued by grief and fear, disappearing into the darkness of the tempestuous night.


	43. utter shock

Waking up with slight pains thrashing about in his head was not exactly the most ideal of ways to embrace the morning. However, Ichigo slowly opened his eyes and brought his hand up to rub his head consolingly. Last night was insane. First the party and drinks, then…

Turning over quickly, he saw Grimmjow lying with his back to him—the same way they fell asleep last night. Even though he seemed to be pushing him away emotionally, Ichigo was still very glad that he could continually wake up to Grimmjow. This had never been the case in Los Noches, and it most certainly wouldn't have been the case had he stayed in Seireitei and let Grimmjow go after freeing him from being executed. There was just something  _nice_  about having someone he really cared about lying so close in the morning; being the first thing he saw.

Forgetting his aching head, he sat up and leaned over Grimmjow, only to find that the Arrancar was still sleeping… quite peacefully, surprisingly. With a smile on his face, he leaned in close and pressed his lips against the corner of Grimmjow's mouth. He was so used to this kind of thing now that it was second nature to him. Before he met Grimmjow, being like this with anyone was almost totally out of the question simply because he wasn't used to this kind of thing.

Grimmjow quickly woke up and turned and blew his breath in Ichigo's face, making him back off and kick the smirking man in irritation.

Once he was over the immaturity displayed, Ichigo stared at Grimmjow, "Hey… Did you go somewhere last night? I could've sworn I woke up for a minute and you were gone…" he said, unsure because he'd been mostly asleep, so he figured he'd imagined it.

Grimmjow sat up and stretched. "Yeah, I went to get more rum." He replied dismissively.

"You… you may have a drinking problem, you know?"

"It's my problem  _if_  I do have one."

"…Whatever. I'm about to use the bathroom to get ready for the day. We need to split up and find out as much as we can about this Raiders issue. Hopefully we can find out who their leader is through straight intelligence gathering... but I know that'll be highly unlikely."

"Yeah, yeah." Grimmjow said, and then got off the bed. He was still naked, Ichigo noticed, meaning he probably came back after getting a drink and then got undressed again.

He always did whatever he wanted… That was something about Grimmjow he admired… a little bit.

…

Putting his hand up to shield his eyes from the bright sun as he came out of the inn, Ichigo walked up beside Grimmjow, who was standing in the middle of the street that was bustling with townspeople. "Wow, it's really bright out here. It's almost as if the storm never happened." He said, trying to make small talk. It was about time he tried speaking with Grimmjow outside of petty arguments.

"It happened. Trust me." The bluenette commented while looking up at the clear blue sky.

"I was just saying…"

"So we gonna do this, or what?"

"Yeah. I'll go to the police department and also check around town to see if anyone knows anything. You go to the gates and keep watch for Raiders."

"Don't get kidnapped, and definitely don't die in the process."

"I can take care of myself." Ichigo retorted as he started walking off towards the police department. Not even a few seconds later, he turned and looked over his shoulder to see Grimmjow heading in the opposite direction to the town gates. Something about him… seemed much brighter than usual. Maybe it was the fact that he was willing to help people other than himself for once. Unfortunately, he didn't know about how Grimmjow came to have Pantera, as he would then know that Grimmjow was capable of acting in the interest of others.

Regardless of what was unbeknownst to him, he still made his way to the police station with a small smile on his face at how Grimmjow was changing.

* * *

"I hope Grimmjow doesn't get into any trouble… Knowing him that's the first thing he'll do." Ichigo mumbled to himself, growing a bit nervous with each footstep he took that ultimately led him away from the Arrancar. Grimmjow wasn't normally one to hold his tongue, nor would he hold his head down so easily in the face of people itching to fight. "No, I have to just believe in him for now. He can take care of himself, and I'm sure he won't… kill anyone..."

The image of Dr. Crownwell's bisected body lying on the bloody sewer floor came back to him, causing a shrilling chill to fly up his spine. Would Grimmjow show mercy to the Raiders? Or would he resort to murder again…?

As many faces passed him in the street, Ichigo brought his train of thought back to his objective: gaining intel on the Raiders from the police.

Although it was mid-day, a lot of people were still in their homes. Many of them were sitting on their balconies or in the windows, and the people out and about seemed to be getting food from the markets in a hurry. He really felt bad for them. Forced to live in a state of perpetual alarm like this... It was something he wanted to put an end to.

Children should be out playing around, more people should be wearing smiles and conversing with each other, animals should be plentiful in the area… This place… it was honestly no better than Los Noches. The only difference was that Los Noches was at least bright in the daytime thanks to the golden sand everywhere. This place was just… depressing.

"Hey, nice orange hair." A girl commented as she and her friend got close to Ichigo. She had long, dark hair, light tan skin, and was quite pretty. She was accompanied by a shorter friend with shorter, light brown hair, who was also easy on the eyes.

"H-huh?"

"I said you have nice hair. You okay, sir?"

"Oh, yeah. I was just-"

"You're not from around here, are you?" the other girl asked.

"No, I'm from Seireitei." Ichigo replied.

"Ooooh! Is there a shopping  _district_? We have a town center here with lots of shops, but I heard you guys have an entire area of the kingdom devoted to shopping!" the first girl eagerly said.

"Well, uh-"

"Nobody cares about shopping. What are the honeys like? Do they have melons?!" A guy asked as he came from behind. He was almost as tall as Ichigo, dressed in a dark blue jacket and black pants, and was sporting a tan that somehow complimented his black, greased hair.

"Go away, Yuki! Nobody cares about  _that_!"

"I do."

"Don't you have a job interview to go fail or something?"

"Kimi, have more faith in your future husband!" Yuki said. "I'll take good care of you.  _In and out of bed._ " He whispered the last part in her ear.

Kimi, the girl who complimented Ichigo's hair, turned away, "Ugh! As if!"

"Yeah, go away! You smell of trouble!" Kimi's friend shouted.

"Oh really? That's perfect, 'cuz I'm gonna join the Raiders!" Yuki smirked.

"Raiders? Why would you want to do that?" Ichigo intervened.

"Huh? 'Cuz they're freakin' badass! Why do you care, pretty boy?"

Ichigo sweatdropped, "Can you three tell me what you know about them. I'm…" telling them he was gathering intel wouldn't be the best idea since this Yuki fellow seemed to want to join them, "Writing a report for the Seireitei Daily."

"Well, if I'm honest…" Kimi began, "Some of them are kind of hot. But really, they're just a bunch of hoodlums who like causing trouble, fighting, and stealing. I mean, it'd be nice to let one of them have his way with me off in a nice, candle-lit spa or somewhere nice like that… but you can't change a badboy. It's just a wasted effort."

"Is that what you think of me?" Yuki asked.

"Not in your wettest dreams."

"Don't lie. Anyway, the Raiders are a kick ass first ask questions later kind of group. I heard there's a big initiation test you take to join by basically getting your ass handed to you by the senior members, but I'm not sure. Makes sense, though, right?"

"…Sure… What about their leader? Do you know anything about him? Or her?" Ichigo asked.

"Hey, where's your pen and paper?" Kimi's friend asked.

"I'm taking  _mental_  notes." Ichigo answered almost snippily. She was a calculating and observant girl, he could tell. But with all his years of arguing with Ishida, he'd gotten whipped into shape enough that he could handle himself in situations like this.

Yuki pulled out a cigarette from his jacket and lit it, "Don't know much about 'em. I hear he's got this city on lockdown, though. Good enough for me." He said, coughing out smoke like someone inexperienced with smoking.

"See, that's just another nail in the coffin of this idea of us getting married." Kimi commented, then slapped the cigarette out of Yuki's hand, "You don't even smoke! You're just trying to impress the good-for-nothings who you  _hope_  are hiding out around town."

"I'm not, I like smoking!"

"Liar!"

"…Hey." Ichigo interrupted cautiously, "Thank you for giving me more information. I'm sure I'll be able to… write a good report about it."

"Don't sweat it!" Yuki insisted, "If I'm gonna be one someday, I might as well spread the word about how amazing they are."

"Yeah right." Kimi said, turning to start walking away with her friend, "Take care, mister. And good luck with your story!" she finished, then went on her way.

Ichigo watched as the three of them headed down the street and rounded a corner. Young and full of life... They somehow reminded him of his friends back home, which made him miss Seireitei incredibly.

But he was out here in this big world to bring one of those friends who had forcibly gone astray back to Seireitei where she belonged.

Venturing further into the market street, he decided to find some adults to talk to. He should've figured he wouldn't get much information out of teenagers.

With a friendly smile, he approached a woman who was looking through some fish and greeted her, "Hello." He said.

"Hi. Can I help you, sir?" she asked cautiously.

"Yes, you can. I'm here to help Kenjou-san investigate the Raiders issue. I wanted to ask around for information on my way to the police station. Is there anything you can tell me?"

Seemingly much calmer now that she'd heard Kenjou's name, the woman nodded. "I don't know if this helps, but I can tell you that they came out of nowhere a few weeks ago and just started pillaging our town. They didn't really have much motive beyond stealing… but then suddenly, they started getting closer to the temple up the hill with their attacks. Some of them tried actually getting inside, but it is usually locked down. Plus, I hear there's someone inside who watches over a crystal or something… I never knew anything like that was here in this town. But I have to say, it was strange for them to be so uncoordinated at first, and then shift all their attention to the temple. They still attack our homes and anyone who's out during one of their raids, but still…"

"I agree that is strange. It's as if someone from in the town is guiding them now."

"The problem is, we don't know who it could be. Then again, they could've just found out about it on their own. There's so much we don't know…"

"Don't worry. We'll fix this mess."

"Thank you. I don't know who you are, but I sincerely thank you for coming out of nowhere to help. It's like you're our guardian angel."

"…Oh… It's fine. I'm just here by coincidence."

"I hope I haven't been talking to a Raider the whole time." The woman almost teased.

"I'm not associated with those people. I'm traveling from Seireitei to the High Palace."

"Well! You greet the king with respect when you meet him!"

"Right."

"I apologize, but it appears the vendor isn't coming out to sell his fish. And I have children back at home, so I have to go."

"Take it easy. And be safe." Ichigo said as he saw the woman off.

Once she disappeared further into town, he decided it was time to go find Kenjou. Maybe he could give more leads-

"KYAAAAAAA!" a woman's cry suddenly rang out from the other side of town, close to the gates.

Fear immediately struck the townspeople who were out. An older woman threw her hands up in prayer. "May kami have mercy on us!" she begged, falling to her knees.

"What's going on?!" Ichigo asked someone who was running in the street to get away from where the woman's cry came from.

"The Raiders! They're here!" the person replied, then pushed past Ichigo.

The boy's auburn eyes widened and he turned his attention to the direction the scream originated. It was time to talk to one of them in person!

Just before he could jump up onto a roof, a large thunderbolt shook the town, and the sound of another one followed. It came from the opposite end of town near the temple. This resulted in shrieks of unbridled terror and many people fleeing began crying as they did so.

"Shit!" Ichigo said. Now he had a dilemma. Should he go to the temple and see if Gonryōmaru and the remaining half of the crystal were alright, or should he go deal with the Raider invasion?! Either way, someone was bound to be in danger. There were likely people near the temple who could have been struck with thunder… but then the people near the gate could be under attack.

Were Chie, Makoto, Yuki, Kimi, and her friend all okay?

" _Grimmjow… what are you doing?"_  he thought, hoping he was doing something about this.

When he saw Kimi's friend round the corner and fall, he dashed over to her. "Hey, are you okay! Where are the others?!" he asked her, helping her stand.

"I'm fine… And I don't- I don't know! We got separated in the crowd! We were near the gates and I think Yuki went to meet the Raiders!"

"Get inside somewhere! I'm going to find them!"

"O-okay! Please save them! Yuki's an idiot! He can't protect himself, let alone Kimi!" the girl shouted with tears in her eyes, and then hurried into a nearby shop.

Ichigo's mind had been made up for him. Gonryōmaru was strong and could defend himself. These people needed him to help them!

* * *

Having taken the rooftops to travel to the northern part of the town where the woman's scream came from earlier, Ichigo stopped when he saw some men walking around who were dressed very, very differently from any of the townspeople. They were wearing black armor that was embroidered with spikes around the shoulders, and some had them in other places like down their backs or across their shoulder blades. Some were wearing dark, metallic masks that looked fairly similar to a Beelzebub from some of the transcribed lore he'd read in Seireitei's classified section of the library. It was no wonder the people here feared them… They seemed quite dangerous.

They were carrying blunt objects like spiked bats, chains, old swords, and some even had assault rifles.

"They're just… patrolling the town?" he asked himself, noting how many of them were not actually doing anything but walking the streets and keeping corners on lockdown. "Hey…!"

When he saw Kimi and Yuki tied up beside a few other townspeople against a building, he felt his heart skip a beat. Kimi was leaning on Yuki, probably scared out of her mind, and Yuki seemed to be putting on a brave, angry face. Grabbing Zangetsu, he stood up. He needed to-

"HEY!"

Everyone's attention turned to the person calling the Raiders out at the opposite end of the street.

" _Grimmjow!"_  Ichigo thought, surprise and relief filling him up at the sight of him standing with an annoyed expression on his face.

"Where the hell did he come from?!"

"I don't know!"

Grimmjow walked past the people who were tied up and went right up to the closet Raider to him. "You bastards slipped in through a secret entrance, didn't you? I didn't see you come in through the front gate!" he said with a wicked and very sadistic smirk on his face. It reminded Ichigo of when they fought in Seireitei before he left for Los Noches with him.

The Raider walked up to Grimmjow and quickly reached out and grabbed him by the neck, then used his other hand to send his sword into his stomach. "Not so tough now, ARE YA!"

Ichigo turned his attention from the two of them to the people being held by a tightly tied string. After jumping down to the ground, he went over and sliced each one of them free.

"HEY! WHO IS THAT!?" a bulky Raider shouted.

"Do something!"

"Stop him! Rip his arms off!"

"Hey! You're that reporter!" Kimi declared with relief.

"Yeah, now you all need to get away from here. We'll take care of these guys."

"You?" Yuki asked disbelievingly.

"That's right. Kimi, your friend is in one of the curio shops near Chie-san and Makoto's inn."

"She is?! Okay, thank you so much for your help!" Kimi said as she got up and hurried in the direction of the inn with Yuki following after her.

"H-Hey! Why aren't you dead!?" the Raider who stabbed Grimmjow asked.

Taking hold of the blade that had just pierced his jacket, Grimmjow applied a little pressure to it and snapped it in half. "Because I'm invincible." He said, and then smashed his forehead against the other man's, causing him to fall to his knees with his eyes rolled to the back of his head.

"N-no way!" a Raider shouted.

"Shoot him! Shoot the bastard and send him back to Hell where he belongs!"

Once he'd seen every one of the Raiders' captives get away safely, Ichigo turned and saw that Grimmjow was taking down the violent bunch of Raiders one-by-one. Thankfully, it seemed like he wasn't killing any of them. "Hey Grimmjow! Stop fooling around with those guys and finish 'em off already!" he shouted to the man.

"Kurosaki?" Grimmjow said, turning and looking with complete surprise on his face. "You didn't get taken hostage?"

"Shut  _UP_! I  _told you_ I can take care of myself!"

After jabbing the last standing Raider with the hilt of his Zanpakutō, Grimmjow smirked and headed over to Ichigo, "Can't blame me for thinking that, can you?"

"This is no time for jokes. What happened with  _you_  was… different… Anyway! We need to get to the temple! Didn't you hear the thunder in that area?" Ichigo asked as he and Grimmjow reached each other.

"I did, but I knew you'd be worried about these peasants near the gates. You should have gone to where you heard the thunder and let me handle this."

"… Well there's no time to regret it now. Let's go!" the orange-head said before hopping up onto a rooftop and Flash Stepping his way across town.

"…" Grimmjow followed after him, hoping things would get more interesting. Those Raiders hadn't been a challenge in the least.

* * *

Brown eyes going wide as he reached the temple, Ichigo almost didn't land on the ground properly. "K-KENJOU-SAN!" he shouted. The sight of the redheaded vice-captain lying towards the base of the stairs that led to the Lightning Cloud's temple covered in blood was enough to shake him to the point where he almost started crying. Just like his mother, Kenjou was lying in his blood and not moving. "Kenjou-san!" he cried out, hurrying over to him.

It was gruesome.

There was a large hole in his stomach, meaning something had run him through. Blood covered him practically from head to toe and was all over the base of the stairs. This was the last thing he expected to happen in all of his possible scenarios for a Raider invasion.

Falling to his knees on the stairs, Ichigo lifted Kenjou's head into his lap and leaned forward to make sure his heart was still beating.

"Kuro…saki…chan…?"

"Kenjou-san!" he shouted, pulling away and staring Kenjou in the face.

"Kuro-"

"What happened to you?! How did you end up like this?!"

"…I failed… I failed to stop-"

"You've been a failure for a very long time."

Grimmjow, Ichigo, and even Kenjou looked up to the top of the stairs to see Captain Ukko standing with a displeased look on his face. Notably, he was missing the glove he'd been wearing when they first met him.

"Ukko-san…?" Ichigo said disbelievingly.

"You children are in the way." The white-haired man said, and then lifted his hand in their direction. There was something in his palm, something glistening all over.

"What does that mean?"

"Kurosaki-chan! It was… Captain Ukko who did this to me!" Kenjou shouted, and then coughed out a great mouthful of blood.

"No way!"

"He… *ack* HE'S THE ONE WHO TOOK THE HALF OF THE CRYSTAL!" the redhead's voice rang out as he closed his eyes, and then spit out blood onto the ground, "HE SHOT ME WITH A LIGHTNING BOLT! YOU CAN'T WIN AGAINST HIM! RUN AWAY FROM HERE!"

"Yes, and it was easy to get it because I had you right under my nose telling me everything you planned to do to catch the Raiders. I couldn't have gotten this treasure if it weren't for you, you ignorant tool."

"You're a monster! You'll pay for this, even if it's me who makes you!" Ichigo shouted. When he heard Grimmjow jump onto a rooftop behind him, he whipped around.

"Hey, why don't you try putting your abilities to the test on me?!" Grimmjow shouted provocatively with an arrogant look on his face. "If you can't catch me, then you're nothing but a useless pile of horse shit!"

Ukko didn't even look up when he raised his hand in Grimmjow's direction and fired a bolt of lightning at him. To his surprise, he hadn't hit his target.

Ichigo watched as Grimmjow flipped his middle finger at Ukko, then started dodging his ensuing barrage of lightning bolts. It went on like that for quite a while until Ukko grew red in the face and veins started appearing on his forehead.

"FINE!" the man shouted, and then aimed his hand in Ichigo and Kenjou's direction.

Grimmjow's cerulean eyes grew wide when he saw him do it.

Hastily, Ukko raised his hand and caused the sky itself to turn black and gray. Suddenly, a massive lightning bolt flashed down to his hand and he absorbed it completely. With a low cackle, he aimed his hand at Ichigo again and fired.

Ichigo leaned forward and shielded Kenjou with his body, closing his eyes tight.

Massive jolts of electricity sounded, however, he felt nothing. It happened one more time, and he even heard Ukko laughing, but still… "No!" he shouted as he opened his eyes and looked up.

Grimmjow was standing over him with his back to him and right arm outstretched, steaming all over. The amount of steam rising off his body was so great that he could hardly see him at all. But he knew Grimmjow must've been hurt.

He'd done it again.

He'd saved him  _again_!

"Grimmjow!" Said man fell to his knees, before falling forward onto the stairs while panting heavily. "No! Not again! Why do you keep saving me like this?!" Ichigo shouted heatedly, yet still felt tears stream down his cheeks.

With Kenjou near death and Grimmjow in a similar condition, Ichigo stared up at Captain Ukko, who was almost silhouetted by the hectic lightning flashing in the black clouds behind him.

"Children can be such a bother." Ukko said, raising his hand up to the sky once more. "But at least I got to test out my new power on you nuisances."


	44. lightning catcher

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A/N: A lot of mixed reviews came at me last chapter... All I can say is I can only keep people in character so much in this story until they come into situations/occupations that compromise their canon personalities/roles. Ichi and Grimm are ultimately going to a bit OOC in a romantic story, anyway xD
> 
> Still, I hope this chapter is better! Enjoy!
> 
> *Btw there was a mistake in the last chapter that someone pointed out to me, and I went back and fixed it. Grimmjow did not stab a Raider, a Raider stabbed him through his Hollow hole* (´Σ ｀;;)

With the sky a gray so sinister it almost looked black and wind whipping about the area violently, not to mention the sound of thunder booming loudly, the situation before the Lightning Clouds temple seemed very bleak.

" _I have to do something…"_  Ichigo kept telling himself as he stared up at Grimmjow's steaming, motionless body.  _"I won't let him die! I can't! I still haven't…"_ he paused and gritted his teeth, _"I still haven't found a way to tell you anything yet!"_

His chances of winning: zero. And he was well aware of that. Everything about this moment, logically considered, told him it was no use in standing to fight. After all, no matter how fast he prided himself on being, there were things holding him down like gravity with which Ukko could use against him. And those things were both lying in front of him, both hopelessly beaten by the thunder's absolute power.

"Kurosaki…chan. Don't stay here…" Kenjou said, using what strength he could to get those words out.

Ichigo looked down to him for a second, then looked up at Ukko, who was making his way down the stairs. "The last thing I'm gonna do is run away." He told Kenjou with determination. If nothing else, he'd perish with his comrades rather than leave them to an enemy's devices.

"Kurosaki-chan…"

"Grimmjow! Can you hear me?!" Ichigo called. Grimmjow's body remained motionless and not a sound came from it but the calming sizzle of when he'd been shot with thunder. "Shit! I need to check on him before engaging Ukko…"

"Ichigo, I'm here." Zangetsu said from the boy's boundless inner world.

"Old man! I need to fight! But… I'm not  _just_  a soldier! As a medic, I can't just leave injured people without helping them! But if I just sit here like a sitting duck-"

"I'm here at your side. You don't have to abandon them with me in your hand. What's more, if you finish this, you can do something to save Grimmjow and Kenjou's lives. Sometimes you must fight _before_  healing. Your friend Inoue is not here to undo damages in the background of battle. You've grown so accustomed to seeing your loved ones stand right after being hurt that it has caused you to lose sight of the reality of battle. Do as you did in the desert when Rukia and Renji were wounded, and, just like then, believe your comrades will be okay. If you must, stand in front of them and fight without leaving their sides if that makes this easier." The man's voice echoed soundly.

"Old man Zangetsu… you… You're absolutely right!" Ichigo said affirmatively, and then reached down and grabbed hold of him, gripping the hilt of his sword tightly. It was true that Inoue usually took the burden of medical work off his shoulders when she was around, but he couldn't always rely on her. She wouldn't always be there in battle to help, especially if it was one as dangerous as this one was. Right now, he needed to act as both a medic and a soldier. "It's just you and me!" he told Ukko.

"What can you possibly do that your fallen friends couldn't? Analyze your situation, since you clearly haven't."

"I'll stop you, even if it kills me! I don't care how! I'll make it happen!"

"Heheh… Foolish!" Ukko replied as he continued down the stairs.

When he fired thunder bolts at Ichigo, he was  _almost_   _pleasantly_  surprised to see the boy duck and dodge all of his attacks while defending the lives of his dying comrades. His speed was admirable, and that determination to keep those worthless scum safe was too, but it was high time to test his physical endurance. With a smirk at this exciting opportunity to test out his powers on a worthy opponent, he used the crystal and started glowing a bright yellow.

"Hold it right there, Ukko-dono!" a voice rang out from the top of the stairs.

Ukko stopped and turned around to see the temple guardian standing at the entrance to the temple. "You've come to stand in my way again? You will fail one more time, you understand?"

"You blindsided me the last time. But this time, I will have my guard up!"

"Feheh… Begone with the remnants of this temple." Ukko said.

Ichigo watched, stunned, as the older man released the charge he'd saved and shot the temple with lightning, making it start to crack and cave in.

"The temple!" Gonryōmaru shouted, and then soullessly started shooting it with lightning where the cracks started forming to mend it.

"You… Don't you realize you'll destroy the other half of the crystal if you destroy the temple!? You might not care about the actual temple, but you must at least care about that!" Ichigo yelled at Ukko's backside.

"The other half is no longer there." Ukko replied, and then turned his full attention back to Ichigo. "You foolish boy, hand Kenjou over to me so that I may reunite the crystal halves."

"Kenjou-san…?" Ichigo mumbled, unwilling to believe Kenjou would do something like steal the crystal, "E-even if he  _does_  have it, you'll have to take him from under my corpse!"

Ukko continued descending the steps with no emotion whatsoever, and when he reached Grimmjow, he stopped and stared down at him, his face turning with a glint of disgust. "Filthy, gutter-dwelling scum… How dare you try getting in the way of my plans!" he shouted, and then ruthlessly stomped his back.

"YOU BASTARD!" Ichigo quickly stood and cloaked his sword in its familiar, dark aura, "GETSUGA TENSHOOOOU!" he roared as he swung the blade and released its heavy lunar wave. When Ukko disappeared in a bright flash of lightning and the attack flew up and struck the temple, Ichigo's mouth flew open.

"Heheheh! Reckless fool…" Ukko reappeared a few steps behind Grimmjow's body and grabbed hold of Ichigo's sword-wielding arm. "Give that man to me. His life will end here, as it was meant to. But if you cooperate, I'll spare you. Someone like you could be subservient to me. If you do as I say, you can be my messenger b-" the man's eyes went wide when he felt something grab his arm, "What the…?"

Grimmjow panted as he used Ukko to stand up.

"Grimmjow!" Ichigo exhaled, relief and surprise in his voice, then snatched himself free of Ukko's grasp.

Hunched over and breathing heavily, Grimmjow managed to smirk even in spite of his scorched skin. Ichigo looked closer when he saw something glistening between his teeth. He drew in a quick breath when he saw that it was the other half of the Lightning Clouds crystal. He was even more surprised to see that Grimmjow's skin was starting to regenerate from being burned by thunder.

"Y-YOU! You took the other half!" Ukko declared with disbelief. His eyes went wide and he gasped desperately for air when he felt a hand crash into his stomach.

"I should eradicate you right here and now…" Grimmjow said after removing the crystal from in between his teeth. He looked down to it and watched as it shined in the palm of his hand.

Kenjou spit out blood and called out to Ichigo. "The Raiders are here!" He managed to say.

Grimmjow looked up from the crystal at Ichigo, who looked confused and a tad nervous, for a second, then looked past him to see a group of Raiders surrounding the base of the stairs.

Ukko shoved Grimmjow away and began catching his breath. After a few seconds, he fell over and started laughing, "Heheheh! You fools never stood a chance! Now die here and vanish in my mighty name!" he declared.

"Not today, Captain Ukko!" a voice called out from behind the group of Raiders.

Ichigo almost dropped Zangetsu when he saw, coming from every angle of the town, townspeople surrounding the Raiders. Chie and her husband were towards the front of the group coming from the western part of the town. All of them were holding weapons, like pitchforks, shovels, bats, old swords, and a few of them had their own guns as well. Thankfully, it appeared that none of them could see Kenjou lying almost hopelessly on the ground thanks to the group Raiders surrounding them.

"It's about time we stood up for ourselves and stop letting Kenjou-san do everything!" someone hollered.

"I can't believe it was you all along, Captain Ukko!" Makoto said.

"You'll die in the jailhouse you pretended to be working for!" someone else shouted. The crowd rallied at the idea, which was only reasonable. Ukko had been deceiving them all along. For what reason? Power? He just wanted a rule so absolute that he couldn't be denied, or so it seemed.

Gonryōmaru smiled as he saw the folks in this town finally standing up for themselves. This was the decisive moment in this town's standing in Earthia.

After gritting his teeth, Grimmjow shook his head. No matter how brave these people  _wanted_  to be,  _none_  of them stood a chance against the Raiders  _and_  Ukko. More precisely, Ukko was clearly leading the Raiders, he had the crystal power, and now he had a lot more targets to play against him. He'd probably end up trying to save these peasants' hides, since that was what Kurosaki would want. Speaking of Kurosaki, he was too concerned with keeping Kenjou's sorry ass breathing by holding on to him, so his doing anything was out of the question… Even though this came off as a weakness, Grimmjow understood that Ichigo was far more fragile when it came to losing people than he was. They were like night and day in that sense. That became clear when he attacked that redheaded man and black-haired woman just outside Los Noches, and it was the same as when that orange-haired girl was in danger in Seireitei. He'd been willing to do anything to keep them safe.

Though, there were clear inconsistencies in his actions. For instance, in the desert, he fought incredibly dutifully without a second thought. In Seireitei, he had fought, but surrendered when it was clear the girl would die if he didn't. Here in this town, he was trying to fight  _and_  be a medic, which he obviously couldn't do simultaneously...

 _People_.

Saving these people was ultimately why he'd lost to Grimmjow twice in a row. It was a weakness that consistently shined through in Kurosaki's actions. This only helped Grimmjow see that his decision to keep people at bay and not grow too attached to anyone was a prudent one. It was a weight heavier than gravity that he didn't need keeping him down.

And another important thing to note was that Kurosaki would never kill someone. Not even a scheming, manipulative dog like Ukko.

This was something Grimmjow knew he'd have to do without him.

And while he accepted that, he would not accept the townspeople being here. They were only making the situation worse.

This was proving to be too much work for him already…

"Heheh, I see you've realized your situation." Ukko said as he looked over his shoulder at the bluenette.

Grimmjow's face turned a mug and he quickly put the crystal half back in between his teeth. Thinking of the best thing he could, he raised his hand so that his palm was pointing at the townspeople. After firing a Cero at the ground in front of them, he watched as smoke rose up, masking their forms. It was a temporary, futile attempt, but he had to do  _something_.

Ichigo whipped around when he realized Grimmjow had fired a Cero. His surprise only grew when he saw Grimmjow shoot another Cero at Ukko, only to have it miss and wind up striking the temple. "Grimmjow!" he shouted to alert him, "He's behind you!"

"Shut him up! We can't let Ukko-sama lose!" A Raider shouted.

"On it!"

At feeling someone grabbing him from behind, Ichigo snatched his arm free and grew angry. "Back off!" he ordered, and then slammed his fist against the man's face who had jumped him. The fools needed to stay out of the battle and away from Kenjou.

"You can't win. Just give up and let my reign come to light. I will change this cursed world for the better and be its monarch! I will be justice!" Ukko's electrified voice echoed.

As vicious, brilliant lightning circled him, Grimmjow slowly reached out and grabbed hold of it with a wicked grin on his face. "You think I'd ever accept  _you_  as king?! If  _anyone_  is gonna rule this world, it's gonna be me!"

Ukko's eyes couldn't have gone wider when he realized that this…  _creature_  had taken hold of him while he was in lightning form. "Unhand me you abhorrent monster!" he said as his body returned to normal.

Ignoring that statement, Grimmjow squinted and squeezed Ukko's arm. "You're the reason… we had to do all this work in this town to get the damned crystal for this long ass journey, AND NOW IT'S NOT EVEN IN TACT ANYMORE!" he yelled, and then started squeezing with too much strength.

"GYAAAH!"

Ichigo turned when he heard a scream on the stairs. What he then saw was Grimmjow trying to pry something from Ukko's hand by squeezing his arm. Even with just one arm, Grimmjow was still quite lethal.

"He's trying to merge with the crystal!" Gonryōmaru warned as he saw it melding further into the palm of Ukko's hand.

"I don't think so! I need it more than you do!" Grimmjow yelled. He realized he couldn't just take it because that would require him to have to release Ukko's arm to get it, and that would give the man an opening.

"Jaegerjaques-dono!" Gonryōmaru called, jumping down behind Ukko. He quickly took Ukko's hand and then started forcing the crystal half from his palm. "I'll help you!"

"N-NO! AARGUH!" the older man shouted, falling to his knees. There was immense pain coming from the feeling of having the crystal forcibly extracted. "I'LL NEVER LET IT GO! I NEED ITS POWER! NONE OF YOU FOOLS KNOW WHAT PROMISES IT GIVES! I CAN FINALLY RULE THIS LAND AND CHANGE IT WITH ITS POWER!"

Without a second thought, Grimmjow snatched Ukko's arm right out from its socket, then forced him down on the stairs.

"It is over, Ukko-dono." Gonryōmaru stated with a displeased look on his face. "Your reign of tyranny from the shadows of this town, while also pretending to be a beacon of light, ends here and now."

Seeing that Gonryōmaru had control of the situation, Grimmjow looked down to Ichigo. Without a word, he started making his way down to him.

Ichigo smiled up at the cerulean-haired man when he saw him coming. He'd really done a good thing today. "Grimmjow…"

"That jack wagon's piss ants are still down there threatening the townspeople." Said man commented with almost complete disinterest on the matter.

"Y-yeah! Let's-"

"I'll handle them! Now that Ukko-dono isn't interfering with the thunder anymore, I can accurately aim without worrying about hitting the townspeople!" Gonryōmaru shouted, then fired thunder down from the sky. It struck each of the Raiders, shocking the majority of them into total unconsciousness, and they fell to the ground one by one. Gonryōmaru then instructed the people to take this opportunity to regain control of this situation, and watched with a smile as they did just that. Many of the people from the crowd hurried over to the Raiders and started tying them up to haul them off to jail.

"Where's my son!?" a townswoman frantically asked one of the Raiders who was still somewhat awake.

Ichigo recalled her from when they first arrived in the town. She still hadn't found her son… "Grimm… can you help the townspeople find out where the Raiders are keeping the others? I'll take Kenjou-san to the emergency room and tend to his wounds."

Grimmjow squinted and his face contorted up in a seething mug. Kurosaki was  _his_  personal medic! It was bad enough that clown spent most of his time with his head rested on Kurosaki's lap… Nonetheless, he shoved his hand into his pocket and walked past Ichigo to the crowd of townspeople. To his surprise, many of them started thanking him for his help and it made him consider firing Ceros through their homes to get them to leave him be. This was not what he wanted. The only reason he'd played hero was for his own sake, not for theirs, not for that Gonryōmaru fellow's, not for Kurosaki's, and for _damned_ sure not Kenjou's.

Ichigo watched as Grimmjow headed on down the main street, following after the group of people escorting the Raiders to jail.

He was definitely not the same man from all that time ago when they first met each other in the desert kingdom.

"…" When Kenjou found his way back to his mind, he turned and hurried back over to him. "Kenjou-san!" he shouted as he got down and started lifting him up off the ground. It seemed like he was still breathing, but just barely. He needed medical attention, but there was nothing that could be done here on this battlefield. The hospital was where he needed to go.

"Let me help!" Gonryōmaru insisted as he jumped down from the stairs to the ground.

"Thank you!" Ichigo said, then they both lifted Kenjou up and supported him on their shoulders as they started walking.

"Hey! I'm coming too!" Chie shouted from behind, surprising Ichigo. He didn't even know she was still hanging around. A girl with tied up brown hair and a working maid's kimono also followed them.

The sun's dazzling light peaked out from behind the receding clouds; filling the town and making it seem peaceful for the first time in our traveler's visit. Birds started chirping harmoniously in the trees and skies, and the sounds of burglar bars being taken down from houses could be heard all over.

Finally, the never-ending storm plaguing this town had passed.


	45. to flourish

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Here's another chapter that I really loved writing and reading in regards to Grimmjow and Ichigo's ever-developing... "relationship"/camaraderie. I hope you all enjoy it!
> 
> And if I haven't said it before, kudos to all of you who have ever read through this story (aka my terrible writing) in one sit-in.
> 
> One final note, summer is in a week for me, so I'm gonna try my best to update more frequently to get the story further along (since it's lasting much longer than I anticipated it would)-this may result in shorter chapters. No promises, though, as I am out of overview chapters and still have work xD

The degree to which Chie cared for Kenjou, had it not been known before, could have been seen through her efforts to help keep him alive last night. The doctors had taken him from Ichigo and Gonryōmaru almost right after they came bursting through the hospital doors, and she insisted on waiting for his surgery to be completed outside—since patient guests weren't allowed inside the emergency room. Makoto told her that she should have gone back with him to the inn, but she was insistent about staying. "The child has no family to be here for him", she'd said.

Now, she was in his room, sleeping in the comfy chair in the corner by the window.

When the door clicked and the handle turned, she woke from her deep sleep and rubbed her eyes. Sora, a young girl who worked at the tea shop, peeked in and looked around. Chie greeted her with a smile. "Good morning, Sora-chan."

Sora smiled back and slipped into the room, holding a large bouquet of daisies behind her back, "Good morning, Chie-san." She said.

"Flowers?" Chie teased when she saw the petals peeking out from behind the girl.

After walking over to the night stand beside the bed, Sora put them into the vase sitting on top of it and started on her way to the sink to fill it with water. "Yeah. I figured he'd want to see something pretty when he woke up."

"Your smile might be enough for him."

"C-chie-san!"

A knocking on the door made the already flushed Sora jump, showing just how nervous she was in just being here.

"Hey, is this a bad time…?" Ichigo asked carefully as he paused, now halfway inside the room.

"No, no, dear! Come in and take a seat." Chie told him. "It's so nice to see such bright and young faces this early in the morning."

"Heh," Ichigo almost blushed. He never really thought about it before, but  _a lot_  of people paid him compliments… Even Grimmjow had inadvertently called him pretty at that desert oasis. He wasn't one to fall for people's praise, because it was so frequent, but thinking about Grimmjow, who was a complete sociopath, it meant a bit more to him than he originally let it. He was so distracted by that that he didn't even notice Chie get up and walk towards the door until she spoke again.

"I'm going to go and pick up some breakfast for Kenjou-kun. He'll have an appetite when he wakes up. You two watch over him, okay?"

"S-sure."

"Okay. Oh, and please avoid any salty foods. He needs to eat less of that in his diet or he'll be in serious trouble down the line." Sora said.

Ichigo wondered who this girl was, as she seemed to know a bit about Kenjou than he first thought when he saw her following as him and Gonryōmaru brought Kenjou to this hospital yesterday.

On her way to the hospital lobby, Chie smiled at all the doctors and nurses and greeted them with warm smiles. Everyone was so busy this morning. Many of the Raiders had to be brought here and monitored after being shot with thunder. And many of the townspeople who had been found and brought back into town needed treatment for the time they'd spent being captives, beaten by the Raiders.

To her surprise, she saw that mess of cerulean hair that belonged to the man who was traveling with Ichigo. Grimmjow was leaning against the wall with his hand in his pocket, and even his disinterested look seemed inviting compared to what happened yesterday with the nasty gang of Raiders.

* * *

"Kenjou-san!" Sora called the moment she saw his dark eyes open.

Kenjou turned away from the sun-bathed window, which Ichigo quickly covered by drawing the curtains, and rubbed his eyes, "Sora-kun… and Kurosaki-chan?"

Sora sweatdropped, "Please don't use 'kun' in my name…" she mumbled, then felt a bit jealous that Ichigo got the "chan" honorific.

Kenjou turned so Sora would not see, then lifted his sheets and pulled his hospital gown out of the way to see what had become of the hole in his torso.

Ichigo felt warmth creeping over him and tried looking away from Kenjou's exposure, but before he did, he noticed the bandages covering the entirety of Kenjou's torso.

Feeling a sharp pain in his gut when he tried sitting up, Kenjou immediately fell back on the bed and drew in a quick breath through his teeth.

"Oh no! Take it easy!" Sora insisted as she hurried over and touched Kenjou's shoulder affectionately.

"Kenjou-san," Ichigo began as he walked over to the man's bed and held out his hand. In his palm, something was glistening dimly with yellow light. "Gonryōmaru-san gave this to us for helping with the Raiders. Obtaining this is the reason we came to this town. But we  _weren't_  here to steal it."

"Heh, I know. After having spoken with you for just a few minutes, I could tell what you wanted." Kenjou replied, then smiled, "Thank you for helping us. I don't know where we'd be without you." he said, making direct, intent eye contact with the orange-head.

Ichigo could tell there was something in Kenjou's stare, and it made him feel a bit nervous, "It was nothing… all in a day's work, really."

"So… you'll probably leave now, huh?"

"Yeah, I'm going to get my friend back… while helping Grimmjow in the process. And I'm kind of not supposed to be out of the kingdom. So I don't have time to relax anymore."

Kenjou sighed, "No chance of a date then…?"

"Huh?! Y-you wanted to-"

"It's fine, Kurosaki-chan. You have someone else you like, right…? It's Grimmjow-san, isn't it?"

"Well…"

Sora took this chance to remind Kenjou that she was still here, "Kenjou-san, I- I am so glad you're okay! And… and… you shouldn't feel down about not being able to take Kurosaki-san out because  _I've_  been in love with you since we met that night you saved me from a gang of Raiders!"

Kenjou's cheeks reddened. "Really?!"

"Yes!" Sora smiled, tears forming in her hazelnut eyes.

"You fell in love with me on that day?!"

"What day?" Ichigo asked. Being clueless wasn't something he enjoyed.

Kenjou's face and even his ears turned red. "I was late going home one night and saw a group of Raiders trying to have their way with a girl. Of course, I stepped in and stopped them… but it was very clumsily… I meant for it to be heroic, but I slipped in a puddle and accidentally knocked the biggest one out when I fell onto him and made him hit a wall… Sora-kun was the girl I managed to save."

"It was brave!" Sora insisted, "And you saved me from those thugs! I fell for your beautiful smile and dark red hair that night… I've been so worried about you since the raids got worse, and I've wanted to tell you for a long time how I feel… I just… well you've been so busy, and it was something I tried figuring out how to do for so long. When I thought you were dying, I knew then that I had to tell you." she said.

Ichigo smiled when she took Kenjou's hand into hers and fell on his chest, "Kenjou-san, it looks like you've had someone who's in love with you all along." He said.

"Sora-kun…" Kenjou mumbled.

"Don't say 'kun'!" the girl cried on the man's chest.

"H-how about we go out sometime? I'm usually free on Thaardas nights." He offered.

Sora looked up and wiped her eyes. "I would love to!" she said through her tears.

Ichigo stood awkwardly while she continued crying for Kenjou's safety, at some points saying how worried she was when Ukko shot him, then remembered he had a journey to continue, "Kenjou-san, I have a question." He said.

"Yeah?"

"I'm going to the next temple, and it's supposed to be here." He spoke, and then pulled his map out from the booksack Akako gave him to show it to the man.

"The archipelago?"

"Yes. Can you tell me how to get there safely? The map indicates a boat voyage will be… treacherous."

"And it's absolutely right. I've only heard rumors… but it's said that anyone who tries to visit that region is never seen again. They set sail, but don't come back." The redhead said chillingly, trying to spook Ichigo, probably to make him stay.

"Where can I find a boat?"

"There's a shop not far from here, real close to the coast, where you can find a boat. But if you wait a while, you can walk to one of the islands."

Ichigo's eyebrows furrowed. "What?"

"It's said that one of the islands in the chain isn't actually an island, it's a peninsula. Only… the path is covered for most of the year by the rising tides. The actual time the path is above sea level is about two or three days… So if you time it right, you'll see it and be able to walk to the first island." Kenjou indicated for Ichigo to get closer with his finger, "Here, if you go to this spot, that's where the path will rise from. I think it should be visible soon." he said, pointing a spot out on the map.

"Thank you for telling me this!" Ichigo smiled warmly, "But wait… why don't you all just go looking for the people who go missing when the path rises?"

"The thing is… we have. None of the people we've sent to investigate have come back. The path only rises once a year for a very short window of time, and we've had our own issues with the Raiders, so saving the lost people hasn't really been something we could easily do. Kurosaki-chan, if you can, please try to find all the people who have gone missing for me."

"Okay, I won't let you down Kenjou-san. I really should be going now."

"Thank you for all your help. And good luck in your journey. By the way, be sure to drop by to visit sometime! We'd love to have our heroes return!"

"Right. Farewell for now. And tell Chie-san thank you again for me." Ichigo said with a grateful look on his face, then headed to the door, "And good luck to  _you_." He smiled, motioning to Sora with his eyes.

* * *

"That took you long enough." Grimmjow grunted when he saw Ichigo round the corner and enter the lobby. He'd been waiting for at least an hour for him to say goodbye to Kenjou—whose survival the Arrancar didn't care for one way or another.

"I don't just walk out on people without saying a proper goodbye." Ichigo countered as he walked right on past the taller man.

"Tch… Whatever." Grimmjow said, pushing himself off the wall and following after him.

Once they got outside the hospital, Ichigo looked over his shoulder, "By the way, we're going to the island archipelago next." He informed.

Grimmjow quickly paused, almost frozen, "I-islands…?" he repeated.

"Yeah. Is that a problem?"

"…No… leave me alone…"

"Hmph…"

On their way out of the village, Ichigo and Grimmjow were treated like heroes. Many people thanked them and a lot of others told them to come back whenever they felt like it. Ichigo happened to look over his shoulder, and off in the distance, he saw Gonryōmaru standing at the entrance to the temple of Lightning Clouds. Gonryōmaru bowed gratefully, then turned and went back into the temple… that was in need of a good fix-er-upper thanks to Ukko. Still, Ichigo smiled as he carried on through the town to the gates because of Grimmjow, who he knew wasn't paying attention to him. But the truth of the matter was Grimmjow was the real hero here. He was the one who outwitted Ukko by taking the other half of the crystal and even defeated him, he saved the townspeople and their missing family members, and he just so happened to save Ichigo in the process. Not to mention he made an effort to keep the townspeople safe when they were in danger because of the Raiders  _twice_.

Once they left the village and were on the open road again, Ichigo was almost captivated by Grimmjow's sunlit backside. For some strange reason, he felt miles and miles away, even though he was just a few inches ahead of him. "Nice work back there. You could have told me you snuck out to get the other half of the crystal, though. I could've helped you." He finally said after what seemed like an eternity of deafening silence.

"The weak can only be defeated by the strong, even when they have the elements on their side. And it's not like I needed your help with anything. That guardian gave me the other half of the crystal simply because he recognized my strength." Grimmjow replied, not even looking back at Ichigo.

After thinking back to what happened just yesterday as he stared at Grimmjow's back, Ichigo felt a bit angry, and balled his hands up as a result, "…I didn't need you to save me..." He grumbled, not even realizing he'd said it.

"What was that?"

Realizing what he'd just said, rather than thought, Ichigo decided to see it through, "…When Ukko-san sent out his thunder at me… I didn't need saving. I don't need you to protect me like that. I can take care of myself." He continued assuredly.

"Some fucking  _thank you_ , huh?! For your information, I did it to play opossum so I could have a striking opportunity! Keeping  _you_  alive was just a convenient ploy." The Arrancar snapped.

Ichigo was a bit offended by that last bit, but he hid it behind a calm façade. "…I just don't want you holding that over my head… I know you will."

"I saved you before that, too. In the jungle, remember? You need to work on your skills, 'cuz you get in pinches really easily, don't you?"

Auburn eyes rolled. "Well then, I guess we're about even, huh?"

"How's that?"

"I saved you from dying of blood loss when you lost your arm," the orange-head said, lifting his index finger, "and it was thanks to me that Nelliel even showed up to save us in the desert when that guy almost killed the two of us." He continued, lifting his middle finger, "Not to mention I freed you from your execution in Seireitei." His ring finger was now pointed skyward as well. "That's at least three times I was the reason you stayed alive when I very well could have left you to die, which you  _would_  have. You only saved me in the jungle and in that village back there. So you shouldn't get the impression that I'm weak and useless. You would have died a long time ago if it wasn't for me coming into the picture."

Grimmjow squinted. "You like to hear yourself talk, don't you?"

"Oh whatever! I'm right and you know it, but you just wanna dismiss me! You're such a child!"

" _You're_  the one keeping scores!"

"Only because you make it seem like I  _only_  need saving! I get vulnerable on occasion! Well, I hate to burst your bubble, but so does everyone else! Even  _you_!"

"Watch your mouth." Grimmjow warned with a low growl, his tone a very serious one.

"No, you admit you're  _just_  as vulnerable as me."

"It's not like I asked for your help! And while you don't ask for mine, the  _one_  time out of those three times that I had the chance to, I told you to let me die."

Ichigo pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration, "Do you even realize what we're arguing about anymore?" he asked.

"I lost interest a long time ago. You're just so annoying I can't help but argue with you."

"SHUT UP! JEEZ! IT'S  _OVER_! THE GOD GRIMMJOW  _NEVER_  NEEDS HELP! THAT'S TOTALLY  _NOT_  WHY HE'S WALKING IN FRONT OF ME TRYING TO FIND  _MY_  FRIEND WHO CAN HEAL HIS ARM!"

"Keep your distance from me for a while or you might find that tongue of yours at your feet." Grimmjow said, then increased his walking speed so he wouldn't have to keep dealing with his nagging orange-haired shadow.

Needless to say, things became very quiet between the two as they continued on their way westward to the beach. The grove that covered the path up the hill only made it worse, as the wind blew through the leaves in the canopies above, making light howling noises as it danced its way through them.

This wasn't what Ichigo wanted in the least.

It never was.

When he had realized they mostly argued a long time ago, he started trying to  _connect_  with Grimmjow-emotionally, not just physically. If he wanted a romantic relationship to flourish in their future, they needed to be friends… possibly even best friends, considering Grimmjow was someone he'd long since decided he wanted to spend the rest of his life around… If best friends  _could_  be something they could become, that is... The unbearable abrasiveness of Grimmjow's personality coupled with Ichigo's intolerance for being verbally abused didn't make for the ideal couple, but he knew they could eventually conquer that road block. They were already working together to obtain these crystals, and hey, that was a start, right? No longer were they enemies, or even frenemies.  _Comrades_  was the word he'd use to adequately describe what they'd become.

That thought in mind, when they reached the peak of the grove-covered hill that, on the other side, led down to the beach, he walked up beside Grimmjow and tried giving him a smile, "You did something amazing for people other than yourself. You should be proud." he tried.

"Kurosaki, I don't need the peachy preachy pep talk."

"Damn it! Stop being so distant! We have to be with each other for a long time, so you could at least smile at me or be less difficult!"

Grimmjow stared down at Ichigo for a while, speechless, awkwardly so, before giving the biggest, fakest smile he could fit on his face. "You mean like  _THIS_?!" he asked, his pink gums even showing as he kept his face frozen.

Ichigo stared up with a blank expression, stunned at Grimmjow's reaction. The dramatic distortion of his face, of that grin that usually appeared when he was up to no good, was enough to make him burst out in a hysterical fit of laughter, gasping desperately for air and holding his sides.

Grimmjow turned away from Ichigo, feeling a bit embarrassed that he even did something like that, then looked out to the bright-sanded beach below. When he managed to get over the sight of Grimmjow's fake smile, Ichigo, embarrassed at his loss of face in front of the man thanks to that uncontrolled fit of laughter, looked down the hill and shared in the view with him. And it was a magnificent sight to say the least. The evergreen grass that stretched down the hill and across the prairie for miles met and mingled with the bright golden sand, and the sand, in turn, played with the shimmering blue ocean. The ocean currents ebbed and flowed calmly, meeting the strict horizon, which was stacked to the brim with colossal, white, carefree Cumulus clouds. If one just so happened to be standing behind Ichigo and Grimmjow at that very moment, the only thing that would be seen would be their silhouettes against the radiance of the magnificent, shimmering landscape; particularly the open ocean.

One silhouette leaned in just a little closer to the other, as Ichigo subconsciously took this chance to enjoy the moment beside his Arrancar comrade, "I never would've seen anything like this if I'd stayed in Seireitei…" he commented.

Sure that he would just ignite another argument, and wanting to avoid that, Grimmjow chose to stay quiet so he wouldn't ruin Ichigo's little moment. He noticed something, though, and decided to speak, "I can see one of the islands from here. It's so damn far…" he lamented.

"What's wrong with you? Ever since I said we were going there, you've been less excited about continuing on this journey."

"It's nothing." Grimmjow dismissed, the sight of the vast ocean reflected in his cerulean eyes.

"I'm so sure."

"I said it's nothing. Just leave it be."

"As always… I'm just supposed to heed your orders."

"…"

"O-oh hey! There's the place where we can rent a boat!" Ichigo said as he noticed the shop that was set up against one of the tall cliffs near the right end of the beach. He could see some boats tied up to the dock and smiled. "Come on. Let's go ask him about the islands, and maybe renting a boat."

"Yeah, yeah."

* * *

The small waves washing up on the sand were a nice and new thing for Ichigo to see as he and Grimmjow made their way to the boat shop on the beach. Sure, he'd been out in the desert very recently, so all the sand was familiar in a sense, but the open ocean was different. It was cerulean beauty beyond belief, swaying and drifting along calmly, seeming to span into forever.

As he came up to the front door of the wooden shack, he noticed it seemed quite old. The white paint was chipping and peeling all over, the windows were faded to the point where you couldn't really see inside, and there were areas on the roof where the shingles were missing. How this place was still in business was something to marvel at…

"Excuse me!" Ichigo called, opening the door. A bell rang as he did, meaning there was probably someone still working here since they needed to be alerted of customers. He entered with Grimmjow on his heels, but they split off from each other as he went to the front desk and Grimmjow started perusing the aisles.

Bright blue eyes landed on many canned sea creatures, like octopi, crabs, and…  _fish_ …

Standing at the counter and looking a little lost, Ichigo waited for someone to come attend to him and Grimmjow. He jumped and almost let his breath hitch when he felt something brush past his rear end a bit too strongly. A very homely, round man scurried behind the front counter, then immediately began praising Ichigo for his looks and vibrant-colored hair. This earned him the preying gaze of Grimmjow from over the aisles.

"How can I help you today?" the man asked.

Ichigo noticed the name on his apron and smiled, "We need a boat to reach the island chain off the coast... Harol-san."

"What kind of boat?"

"A sail boat, I guess. It doesn't need to be anything special. In fact, we just need it in case the path doesn't rise from the sea. I guess if it does, we'll just pull it to the first island and sail it back to you." Ichigo replied.

"Well, most of my other boats have been rented out and are gone at the moment. There are a few small sail boats on the docks that you can use… for a modest cost, of course."

Grimmjow walked to the front door and leaned against it, looking out the window to the ocean with an unreadable expression on his face.

Ichigo almost blushed, "We… actually don't have any money." He said.

This was new for him. On this journey, he'd left without taking anything into consideration, like where his money would come from, where he'd sleep, and what he was supposed to eat. Nothing was as it was in Seireitei, where everything was right there for him, out in this big world. But still, glancing over at Grimmjow, he knew there was no regret to be had in his decision to impulsively venture out of the place he'd always known as home. Grimmjow… Grimmjow was now part of what he considered when he thought of his home. Which conflicted with everything else back in Seireitei, of course... His family probably would not accept Grimmjow. His friends would definitely not accept Grimmjow. And his comrades condemned and sought to eliminate Grimmjow.

But none of that mattered right now.

He'd figure out what to do and where to go with Grimmjow when he came to that bridge. Considering they had three crystals and seven left to get, he could afford to put that thought off for a while.

"If you don't have any money, I can't give you a ship." Harol said a bit dismissively.

Ichigo sighed, but stepped back from the counter. "Sorry to have bothered you…" Sure, he could have just taken a boat, but that's not how things went in the real world. And he was raised better than that. So with a slight bow, he made his way to the door. "Let's go." He said to Grimmjow.

... ...

Quietly seated on the beach, Ichigo lifted a handful of the golden grains and let them fall back to greet their friends on the ground again. The wind was gently blowing, and it felt like such a nice day. But currency, or lack thereof in very important moments, could bring anyone down even on the prettiest day. "We'll never get to the archipelago now. Even Flash Stepping would be useless unless that path rose." He said, almost to himself.

Grimmjow, standing behind Ichigo with his hand in his pocket, looked down at the other's backside for a second. Without a word, and without even being noticed, he walked away.

After a while of sitting in the sunlight and staring up at the sky, Ichigo turned to see where Grimmjow was, as he hadn't spoken since they left the shop. His eyes went wide when he saw the Arrancar standing on the dock, and when Grimmjow noticed him looking, he waved for him to come over. Ichigo stood up, wiped his pants off, and then jogged his way over to the docks where Grimmjow was waiting for him. "What is it?" he asked.

"The old letch gave us a boat."

"R-really?!"

"Yeah, he was so  _adamant_  about it too... Said he couldn't believe what he was doing…"

"That's amazing! What did you tell him?!"

The look of relief and happiness on Ichigo's face was admittedly better than the solemn look he'd worn as they left the shop, Grimmjow noted. "Oh, a little of this and a little of that. Didn't take much to convince him at all…"

Ichigo smiled and looked out to the ocean where he could see the first island. "Now we don't have to wait. You're amazing, Grimm!"

Grimmjow subtly wiped his knuckles off and grinned, "Yeah, I know."

"Which one can we use?"

"He said it's the only one that's not in need of repairs."

Ichigo sweatdropped when he saw Grimmjow walk over to the sail boat they'd be using. "W-we have to go all that way in  _this_?"

"S'better than nothing!"

The boat was only fit for about three, and had a few sails, not to mention it definitely didn't seem like something anyone should use to sail across the ocean. It wasn't in the best of shape, as parts of the wood were rotting and some nails were even missing, but it did beat the others by a long shot. "I guess it'll have to do."

"Let's go then. I don't wanna sit around forever."

"Fine, let's take it that way then." Ichigo said, pointing over to the spot on the beach that was a straight shot to the first island.

"To the beach? You wanna push off from the beach when it's already ready to go from here?"

"Yeah. We'll ride close to the path that leads to the island, and if we're lucky, it'll rise and we can get there with our speed."

"Hm… Not a bad idea." Grimmjow agreed. It certainly beat  _sailing_  the whole way.

... ...

"Here." Ichigo said, pointing to a spot on the shore, then turned to see Grimmjow dragging the boat in the sand behind him. "You have the strength to carry that without dragging it, I'm sure. Why are you being lazy? I even asked you if you wanted me to do it, but you said you could do it… If I'd known you'd be so careless-"

"Leave me alone… I'm not up to par today. We've argued enough for one day, don't you think…?" Grimmjow said a bit woozily as he dropped the boat into the water where Ichigo had pointed to. Then with a strong push, he sent it off into the water. Ichigo jumped and landed in the boat, but then fell when Grimmjow did the same, landing right in front of him.

"Let's hope this trip is a good one."

"And off we go..." Grimmjow said, sitting down and sighing in misery.

"Yeah." Ichigo said as he looked out to sea. The archipelago was in sight on the horizon, and nothing could stop them from getting there now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're gonna see some familiar people next chapter!


	46. currents

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Review if you have questions about the chapter and I'll answer them to the best of my ability without spoiling the story to come. Comments are also always welcome. And I'd love feedback on this chapter particularly ^^ A lot of it was improvised, but necessary for future events, so I kept it in.
> 
> (This chapter may or may not have been conveniently named after a lovely album I adore by Eisley)

Of all the things in the world to remember about Grimmjow Jaegerjaques, one of the most important things to keep in mind was that he didn't like deep water. After all their time together, Ichigo had come to learn that early on at the desert oasis. Sure, Grimmjow knew how to swim, but there was just something about deep water that sent him into a frenzy. The fact that they were both currently on a sail boat with questionable structural integrity in the middle of the ocean that was many fathoms deep was just not the most ideal of situations for the Arrancar.

Ichigo really felt for him.

"Grimmjow," he called calmly.

"What?" Grimmjow asked, looking at him with distaste.

"At least we're getting the sailing out of the way now." He offered.

"Is that supposed to make me feel better? 'Cuz it's not helping when I have to sit here looking at all this damn water with only a  _speck_  of land in sight."

"If you must know, yes, I was trying to make you feel better. Grimmjow, I've grown a bit tired of your constant attitude. Why do you treat me like a nuisance? It's time for us to hash this out so we can move past it."

Grimmjow stared at Ichigo, who noticed that the man's eyes almost reflected the backdrop that was the sky's color perfectly, and replied, "I have an abrasive personality and no time for bullshit chit chat. You're the one who is always so insistent on talking to me, all the while knowing I won't be interested in most of the shit you have to say."

"And I'm telling you that you don't have to be that way with me. Open up and let me help you. Let me in, Grimmjow. That's all I want…" he said, trailing off and realizing he was becoming emotional. That had to be avoided at all costs.

"There's nowhere for you to go even if I did..." The bluenette replied almost despondently.

"Grimm-"

"Why are you still talking to me about this?"

"I bet if I wanted to fight you'd change your tune!"

"Damn straight! Fighting is all that matters to me. Did I not tell you that multiple times before?"

Ichigo squinted in anger. This was always the case. The two of them were just meant to butt heads, and he accepted that now. Still, he found that when Grimmjow pushed him away like this, that was when he wanted to venture inside him the most. He glanced down to Zangetsu for the briefest of seconds, but decided against using that kind of force against the man. Instead, he would take advantage of the situation before him, and he felt very wily for it.

Moving closer to Grimmjow, who raised an eyebrow at him and started backing away nervously, Ichigo got him into a corner, then turned and sat shoulder to shoulder with him, taking his hand into his own. "Grimmjow, if you want me to stop, you'll have to fight me. Otherwise, we're going to be sailing like this for a while." He said.

"Kurosaki… get off me…"

"Make me."

Grimmjow stared off at the distant shore they'd left behind, unmoving and feeling warmth creeping all over his body, particularly in the palm of his hand. No matter how much he wanted Kurosaki to move, he sat still and did nothing at all. He also didn't say anything. He wasn't used to this kind of thing, and while he didn't like it, fighting with Kurosaki could very well lead the boat to capsize or be destroyed. That needed to be avoided at all costs.

Instead, he sunk down and closed his eyes in defeat. In this one scenario, he would let the cunning Kurosaki have his way.

"Grimmjow, after this journey is over…" Ichigo began, then stared up at the clouds to preoccupy himself from looking at the man, "Do you think we could come back to the beach?"

"What?"

"Well…" Nervous about what it was he was hinting at, Ichigo blushed, "It was really cool to be on that beach, right? But we didn't get to enjoy it at all because we have to be in such a hurry… But still, I'd like to see it again sometime on much more lax terms. With you."

"Why me? You have friends in your kingdom." Grimmjow replied dismissively.

"Because you're… fun to be around… sometimes. You know? I can laugh with you on occasion. Even if we argue a lot, I think we're really not so different."

"We're night and day and you know it."

Inwardly sighing, Ichigo closed his eyes, "Tell yourself whatever you want. But deep down, you know it too."

"That's enough talking… I'm getting sea sick."

"But there's nothing else to do." Ichigo commented, looking out at the expanse of shimmering blue. Times like these, when there was nothing to do but wait, were the best times to chat. It didn't matter if he didn't remember the chat itself, just so long as he built up a sturdy foundation with Grimmjow. If they could talk about pointless things as well as important things, then they could start building that friendship he wanted… not that he would tell Grimmjow that's what this was about. "So…" he began, "Tell me about… um… well…"

"See? You're struggling to find something to talk about. Let's just sit here quietly." Grimmjow interrupted, then pulled his hand free from Ichigo's.

"Oh! I know. Heheh. Tell me about Pantera and how you got him. I've only heard rumors about spirit animals. No one in Seireitei has one that I know of."

"I found him as a cub in the desert."

"…There's nothing more to it than that? You just  _found_  him? What about his mother? Did he have one? Or did he just… appear out of nowhere?"

"His mother was killed, so I took him in."

"…Killed…? Did… did  _you_  kill her?!"

Grimmjow squinted, but sank so he was lying down on his side. Surprisingly, he decided to lay facing Ichigo. "No, dimwit. I sav- She was just dead. So I took him in. Unwillingly…"

"Now we're getting somewhere." The orange-head said with a small smile, "So, is there anything you honestly want to know about me?"

"Not really."

"You sure? I'll answer any questions you have."

After closing his eyes, Grimmjow reached up and ran his fingers through his cerulean locks of hair.

Ichigo took that as a sign that there really was nothing about him that Grimmjow wanted to know. It was discouraging, and the awkward silence only made the moment worse. And it stung like hell to feel so… insignificant, unwanted.

They really weren't on the same page when it came to their standing, were they?

"Well, uh, forget I said any-"

"Who trained you?" Grimmjow asked suddenly, his eyes still closed.

Ichigo stopped mid-sentence and stared down at the Arrancar, almost flabbergasted. His heart started racing a bit and he smiled, feeling butterflies in his stomach. "I… was trained by the higher-ups in Seireitei. Mainly, someone who isn't exactly an officer anymore. He's… strange… to say the least. But he's incredibly strong and dependable if I'm honest."

"Heh, maybe that explains a lot about  _you_..." Grimmjow almost teased.

"You think so?"

"…"

"What about you? Who trained you?"

"I learned to fight in the streets, and I only got better after I earned my Zanpakutō."

"That's right. You told me about that."

"I didn't."

"Yes you did. And actually, there are a lot of things I know about you that you probably don't want me to."

Cerulean eyes opened and stared into auburn ones, "…Are you satisfied?"

"No."

"What more do you want from me?"

"Does it kill you to talk? You probably forgot you were even on the boat."

"…"

"Let's see… When…" Ichigo faltered, "When was your first time?" he managed to ask, although he was looking at the clouds as he did.

"Doing what?"

"Whaddya think?"

"…You're nosy."

Ichigo smirked, "Don't tell me it was a year ago or something." He teased.

"For your information it was over  _ten_  years ago!"

"Oh? So you were younger than sixteen? That's very early…"

Grimmjow quickly looked down to the floorboards. "Yeah, the sooner I got rid of it the better. What of it?!"

"Nothing. That actually doesn't surprise me at all."

"What about you?" the bluenette asked, then almost laughed as he spoke again, "Don't tell me I was yours."

Ichigo's expression changed from a lighthearted one to a serious, almost broken one. He turned his attention out to sea and didn't respond.

Grimmjow knew the answer right away and closed his eyes, "How old are you?"

"Twenty."

"…Well… I don't feel so bad anymore. It was practically begging to be taken away. Take it as a compliment that I wanted you in the first place."

"Grimmjow, it's not okay to force people to do what you want them to simply because you can overpower them. I hope that, even if you ignore everything else I ever told you, you remember that if you become king." Ichigo replied. "I… Deep down I kind of knew it was coming. And after the first few times, I expected it from you. But… still… it's something I'll never forget."

"Hmph. Clearly there was something you liked about it, seeing as how you came back to me almost willingly."

"Inoue was in danger and I was out of energy. I realized she would be safe if I just complied with you. It wasn't exactly 'willingly'. It was just the smart thing to do."

"Was it so bad, though? Did you really not want to come back with me?"

"At that time, no. Not really."

"So what's different now?"

"A lot of things…" Ichigo mumbled, "Grimmjow, while I did detest you in the beginning, after spending so much time with you, I've come to accept and actually like you as a person. Sure, you had your way with me. And sure, it was traumatizing and emasculating… but a lot has changed.  _You've_  changed. You're not that man anymore."

"Don't be so sure."

Ichigo swallowed his saliva, "I actually… look forward to that kind of thing with you now. I want it from you."

"I know. I'm just irresistible, ain't I?"

Instead of responding right away, Ichigo blinked at Grimmjow. A lot. It was just his way of lightening the mood. "Can we… tone down the arguing? You and I are a powerhouse together, and we can't afford to lose on this journey. There could be someone strong ahead, and I think if we're united, rather than divided, we'll be able to overcome anything."

Grimmjow flipped so he was on his back, staring up at the sky. Kurosaki was right. About a lot of things, though he wouldn't admit it. He didn't  _want_  to argue so much, it just happened. They were stronger when they worked together, and it was about time they showed the world that. "I'm cool with that. From now on, I'll try to be less abrasive when it comes to you."

Little did Grimmjow know, Ichigo had ultimately mind-fucked him into that response. By conveying his feelings about their first few nights together, and by also including the fact that they went harder as a team, he had manipulated him into coming to that agreement. But that was a good thing. It meant that the selfish, inconsiderate man Grimmjow used to be was changing into something different. He was a better man now than he was before. "Okay." Ichigo said, a smile gracing his lips.

He leaned down and laid beside Grimmjow, thankful they managed to bond a little more. Little by little, something was beginning to sprout healthily. Right now, there was an electric warmth soaring through him—one that only Grimmjow could cause. Socializing with him, finding out things about him, having him an arm's hair away, it all meant more to him than he could tell Grimmjow about right now.

Carefully, he reached out and took Grimmjow's hand into his own again, threading their fingers together and running his thumb against the warm skin beneath it. When the Arrancar looked at him, he simply flashed a confident smile and raised their hands skyward. "Thanks for today. It's been surprisingly... well… surprising."

"The day's not over yet…" Grimmjow remarked. Closing his eyes, he freed his hand from Ichigo's and brought it down to rest on his stomach, just wanting to sleep the rest of the way to the islands. The ocean was making him unwillingly much more compliant than he normally was, and it was about time he stopped with all the idle chit chat.

Ichigo also closed his eyes and enjoyed the lull of the slow-moving currents, then eventually drifted off into a sloom in the serenity of the calm waters and sky.

Unbeknownst to either Grimmjow or Ichigo, there were dark storm clouds looming on the horizon, and also a massive dark figure passing beneath the water's surface just under their boat.

* * *

With warm sand spreading under the combined weight of him and his passengers beneath his paws, Pantera made his way down the beach, following the scent of Grimmjow. It'd been a long, tiresome journey getting around the forest… But it was in their best interest, as there were far too many things going on beneath the trees for them to have handled while trying to catch up to Grimmjow and Ichigo.

The set-back had been at least two days. He knew he was that far behind Grimmjow from the strength, or lack thereof, of the scent his master left behind in the towns they passed through. But after a spending one sleepless night carrying the sleeping gypsy girl and stuffed plushie on his back, he managed to find a strong source of the scent Grimmjow left in his wake, and they were not very far behind him now.

"This is so pretty." Nelliel observed as she looked around the outspread beach. "It really reminds me of Las Noches." The sand was just as vibrant, the hills and prairies were all lush with green vegetation and colorful flowers, and opposite that, the ocean lay in its cobalt beauty.

"Hey big guy!"

Pantera looked over his shoulder at the stuffed toy calling him, "What?"

"How much longer 'til we meet up with Ichigo?"

"I've still got the scent, and it's even stronger now. It leads up ahead." Pantera replied.

"What'd he say?" Nelliel asked Kon.

"We'll catch up to them soon."

Pantera continued following the overpowering trail, but stopped when it did.

Nelliel leaned forward, "W-what is it?" she asked.

Kon jumped down onto the sand, "He said both scents end here."

"'End'? What do you mean?"

"Ichigo must've hopped on a sail boat or something." Kon replied, looking out to sea. "I hope he made it to wherever it was he was going, because those storm clouds are coming this way."

Lightning flashed, roaming through the heavy gray clouds, as they pushed towards the beach the trio stood on. "Is that an island out there?" Nelliel said, squinting and looking at the tiny mark on the horizon.

"Y-yeah! It is! That must be where he went!"

Pantera remained quiet, staring out at the ocean with concern for his master filling his thoughts. Grimmjow could swim fine, but if he were to get lost at sea, there'd be nothing he could do. Because when it came to deep water, he really showed just how cat-like he was.

After hopping off of Pantera's back, Nelliel started up the beach to the shop they'd passed a while ago. "We should wait out the storm. If nothing else, maybe the owner can tell us more about where we should start looking for Ichigo."

"Good idea. The last thing I want is to get my cotton wet." Kon agreed, then followed after his teal-haired maiden.

"Coming?" Nel asked Pantera after she noticed he was not budging from his spot where he had the last of Grimmjow's trail.

"Eh let him be. If he wants to get his fur wet, let him. Let's you and me find that shop and hope there's a bed we can share!" Kon declared.

"I admire your devotion to Grimmjow, but don't get swept away with the tide or the wind!" Nel called as she continued towards the shop further down the beach. If there was one thing she knew, it was that Grimmjow had a very faithful spirit animal. He was a very lucky man, that was for sure.

And she sincerely hoped they could all meet up soon. It had been far too long since she saw Ichigo.

* * *

Wind whipped about aggressively, pushing against the white sails on Grimmjow and Ichigo's vessel. It meant to send them back to where they came without a second thought, living up to the idea that nature can be quite relentless and counteractive towards human endeavors.

When he felt the boat rock a bit too unsteadily, Ichigo slowly woke up. Notably, Grimmjow was sitting up and holding on to the side for dear life. "Crap!" he shouted, sitting up quickly when he realized they were caught in a storm.

His orange hair flew back the moment he did as the wind took the chance to assault him.

"Don't do anything stupid!" Grimmjow shouted over the howling wind as he looked at the other.

Ichigo grabbed hold of the boat and held on tightly when a wave carried them up in the air and then back down again. It was like an amusement ride that he could not stop, and he became a bit nervous about his and Grimmjow's safety.

And even while he fretted about how he could save them, he noticed something else. Something very, very wrong. "Hey! The island is gone!" he shouted as he looked around in all directions for it.

Indeed, it was nowhere in sight.

"Damn it! We must've either sailed past it or gotten blown off course! I never should've let my guard down and fallen asleep!" Grimmjow said. It was a completely different side of him that Ichigo rarely ever got to see: a vulnerable and frightened Grimmjow.

"I- I wish I could use my wings to save us, but I can't! I don't have enough Reiatsu saved for it!" Ichigo yelled. This was proving to be more hopeless than he first thought it was.

Grimmjow shook his head, "I won't fucking die out here! I need to get back to Las Noches to take the throne and dispose of Tousen!"

Ichigo turned to look for the island again, but his eyes grew wide when he noticed the horizon was much higher than it should have been. Upon closer inspection, he saw the titanic waves, all at least a few meters in height, were coming their way at vicious speeds. They would rip the boat asunder effortlessly. "G-Grimm…" he called. No response was given to him. "Grimmjow!" he tried again, much more vociferously.

"What?!" Grimmjow snapped.

Ichigo, heart beating miles a minute, calmly let go of the boat and walked over to the Arrancar, falling over twice as the waves punched and thrashed against the boat. "I need to tell you…" he began.

"What can you possibly have to say at a time like this?!"

Closing his eyes tight, Ichigo clenched his fists and lamented his own powerlessness against the ocean. "This is… we might not make it through this… so… I… want you to know that even if you think no one does, I-"

"UUUUUUUUUUUOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" something howled violently, shaking even the already crashing waves.

Grimmjow froze as something sharp, black, jagged, and shining pierced through the boat just behind Ichigo. But he wasn't frozen from surprise. No. What hit him like a ton of bricks was the realization that whatever the thing was that was tearing through the floorboards was launching them into the air. He looked down the second he saw Ichigo's feet slowly disconnect from the boat.

"Kuro-"

Airborne, the two of them were shot in an arc and the world spent. Grimmjow landed back-down in the water just before Ichigo faceplanted in it. He didn't even have the chance to take a desperate breath.

"UUUUUUUUUUUOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"

Unmoving under the water, Ichigo felt his world slowly fading, his life flashing before his eyes, and his breath leaving his body, floating up in a myriad of bubbles back to the surface where it could meet its source. He reached out and tried swimming back to the top, but it was futile. And he realized Grimmjow, who was deathly afraid of deep water, was probably in a worse state than he was.

Looking around, he spotted him sinking to the dark ocean depths. And it was here that he was struck with a choice. He could either die breathless and alone, or muster the last of his strength to try reaching Grimmjow.

Seeing as he would die either way, he forced himself to swim downward against the strong currents and the pain in his lungs, which were begging for air. Grimmjow was only a few feet away. He  _had_  to reach him no matter what!

Unexpectedly, something vaguely dark and massive, the size of a building at least, made itself visible behind Grimmjow. It had to have been a whale of some sort, and it only grew in size behind him as it made its way up from the darkness.

At last, Ichigo reached the unconscious Arrancar, and the last thing he did before his world faded into the watery deep was grab hold of Grimmjow's head and nestle it against his chest.

" _I'm glad we… managed to connect. Even if only a little… it was more than enough, Grimmjow… Thank you… for coming into my life… Dad… Yuzu and Karin… Rukia… Renji… Ishida… Chad… Senna… Nel… and… Inoue… I'm sorry… this is it…"_  he thought as his vision faded completely and the world was lost to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just an idea I'm tossing around, but I may shorten this journey by a crystal or two. But I did have adventures planned for each one, so maybe not... Regardless, I think a lot of you don't even remember how many they were trying to get xD


	47. ocean deep

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: CHAPTER CONTAINS MATURE CONTENT

Obscure, absolute darkness. That is what Ichigo slowly opened his eyes to, and he struggled to wake up where he lay. And there was something rested on his chest, something warm and a little heavy. In the uncertainty that was this dark, strange place, he tried sitting up. Though, it felt as if his energy had left him completely.

"What's going on here…?" he mumbled.

Closing his eyes again, despite knowing he should stay alert, he tried remembering what had happened to him. That could help him figure out where he was.

The memory of those heavy, crashing waves hit him just as hard as he had when he hit the water when he was flung from the boat.

"Gr-Grimmjow!" he called, opening his eyes and looking up and around desperately.

Lifting his hand, he sucked in a breath before cautiously resting it on the object that was acting in tandem with his lack of energy that hindered him from getting up. The second he felt the hair he'd so often ran his hand through before, he exhaled deeply with relief. It was Grimmjow.

Moving his hand down further, he rested it on Grimmjow's back to see if he was breathing.

Indeed, his abdomen was expanding and contracting. His heartbeat was slow and somewhat weak, but it was there.

Ichigo inwardly thanked God for Grimmjow's safety.

And so, he relaxed. In fact, he closed his eyes and sprawled his arms out. Whatever it was he was lying on was surprisingly comfortable like a cushion or bed. He had no idea where he was. Nor did he know how he and Grimmjow managed to survive, but it appeared his journey wasn't meant to end by way of a watery grave.

With a smile finding its way to his face, he started threading his fingers through Grimmjow's hair again, this time using both hands to do so. The feeling, the mere thought that he was still here to hold, was enough to make him appreciate whatever relationship he had with the Arrancar already. If he were to disappear so abruptly, Ichigo wasn't sure he could just move on…

But now was not the time to think of worst-case scenarios. Grimmjow was here to embrace. So with the strength he could muster, he went from gently pulling at the soft hair in his hands and pulled Grimmjow up so that he could feel him breathing on his neck.

For a while, he was at ease. In fact, he almost fell asleep until something caught his eye in the darkness.

A light…

A very strange light.

It leisurely came in his direction as if it were floating, then stopped a few feet away like it was forced to do so by a wall or barrier of some sort. Then, just as strangely as it came, it went on its way.

Suddenly, multiple dim lights began glowing in a circle around what Ichigo assumed was the floor, since he was a little elevated from their level. Almost like tiny nightlights, they lit up the area and revealed where they were resting. It was a room, and it was covered in a glass dome. Beyond the room, he saw schools of fish swimming about in dim, pale, light, and also many strange, circular figures floating about—at least fifteen of them.

One of those strange figures lit up in a bright pinkish white, then revealed tentacles hanging. They were jellyfish, each and every one of them. Just like the first one, the others started lighting up brightly.

Able to see more of his surroundings now, Ichigo looked at Grimmjow.

"Where are we now…?" he asked, knowing he'd receive no response from the unconscious man.

To the left, the sound of a lock coming undone caught his attention.

A door came open and light flooded in, revealing a small, silhouetted child.

"Who's there?"

"Oh, you're awake?" a girl, replied. She walked in and clapped her hands, then lights lining the dome lit up warmly. Though, they were not regular lights like Ichigo had ever seen before. They were some sort of creature… probably some deep sea creature he'd never heard of.

"Where am I?"

"Hey, you sure are rude…! You  _should_  be thanking me."

"Thanking you…?"

"Yes, that's right. I'm the one who saved you."

"Saved me…" Ichigo echoed.

"Oh my goodness… are you dense?" the girl asked seriously. She came further into the room, revealing her head full of long, dark blue hair that was crowned with white scales. Her skin, Ichigo noticed, was pale, meaning she'd likely never seen the sun before. From that, he came to the realization that he was under the sea. And what a realization that came as.

"We're… we're under the sea, aren't we?" he asked.

"I'm glad you realized that. I was under the impression that you were a bit touched in the head." The girl replied. "Yes, you're under the sea in the Oceania Kingdom."

"Oceania Kingdom…?" Ichigo had heard that word before… It was in Homura! Dr. Crownwell had a file called "Project Oceania" hidden away in his office. "Are you… human?" he asked.

"No, silly. Look at me. Do I look like a human to you?"

She did and didn't. Of course, she had two arms, two legs, a head, and a torso, but her skin tone, or lack thereof, her scales, her very slick hair, and her webbed hands and feet would give her race away instantly to anyone… even if they were not aware of the different races that were known to Earthia. Notably, she had pretty blue eyes and her scales seemed to be missing on her actual face, towards the center of her torso, and the area around her inner thighs. That may have been for mating reasons. For humanoid creatures, scales could hinder such acts.

"Why aren't you wearing clothes?" he spoke after his observation.

"Why  _are_  you?"

"Eh… don't answer people's questions with another question!"

"I don't wear clothes because my people don't need to wear clothes. We don't need them here under the sea. They only slow us down when we swim."

"…So Oceanians can breathe in the water and breathe oxygen?" he asked after noticing she had a nose and was perfectly fine in dry areas.

"That's right! We're awesome, aren't we? Bet you wish you were one of us now!"

"I'm fine being…" Ichigo stumbled, "human…"

"What's that person sleeping beside you?" the girl asked as she leaned on the bed and pointed at Grimmjow. "He looks weirder than you… and even though I've never seen a human in person, I know they're not supposed to have skeletons on their face."

"He's…" Ichigo stumbled,  _again_ , "Human…" he said, using that term quite loosely. Grimmjow was Earthian, Skifenian, and an Arrancar. So many things being present to make up a person could baffle someone as to how they were even alive. Grimmjow was either lucky or truly strong to have so much genetic data altering him, since he was originally Earthian by nature.

"He looks like… no… never mind…" the girl said, looking a little afraid.

"I'm Kurosaki, Ichigo. Nice to meet you, and thanks for saving us."

"About time… My name's Mizumi. I'm the princess of the Oceanian Kingdom. Welcome to our palace."

"Oceanian Kingdom princess?"

"Yes."

"Whoa… what a stroke of luck!" Ichigo smiled.

"What do you mean?" Mizumi asked.

"If we're in the Oceanian Kingdom that's under the sea, you must know something about a crystal we can get!"

Mizumi stopped leaning on the bed and squinted, "Is that what you've come for?! We're dealing with too many problems right now since my father is missing… I can't let someone like you take advantage of-"

"Hey, calm down!" Ichigo said, a bit shocked at her response, "I'm not here to cause trouble. In fact, I wanna help you. If that will get me the crystal, then tell me what I need to do."

"…There's nothing you can do."

"Is there a temple here?"

"Of course."

"Take me there! I'll talk it out with the guardian."

"Not right now I won't. It's very late and I'm not even supposed to be out of my quarters… You'll have to wait until tomorrow."

"Wh-"

"And I'll only take you under one condition."

"Wait! You can't just bribe me, brat! I can just go find someone else who will tell me what I want to know."

Mizumi shook her head disapprovingly, "Nope. You won't make it five seconds without my help."

"Why's that?"

"Because if anyone sees either you or your friend, they'll put you to death." The princess said as she headed over to the door she entered from, "I'll come back tomorrow morning. You can't leave this room since I'm locking the door, but still, don't make loud noises, and don't get found out. You understand, right? Sure, you seem like a strong guy, but ocean deep, you can't beat us.  _Especially_  not without your swords and crystals."

Ichigo's auburn eyes went wide as she waved goodbye to him and closed the door. "Wait!" he ordered.

When the sound of her footsteps faded down the hallway, he clenched his fist and cursed, " _Shit_ … Are we  _prisoners_  here, or what?"

* * *

Once he'd calmed down a little, Ichigo, leaning with his back against the wooden headboard, sighed heavily. This was more than he'd expected. Yeah, surviving that misadventure at sea was amazing. And yeah, having Grimmjow here at his side was also a relief, but still… taking orders from a spoiled brat and being trapped under the sea was not what he would call a "trial". And what was worse, if he showed his face to these Oceanians, they'd kill him. Without Zangetsu, and with no Reiatsu, he was stuck.

"What's up with that, anyway…? Where the hell did my Reiatsu go back then…" he asked himself.

It had vanished almost entirely the moment he hit the water. Swimming to Grimmjow took literally everything out of him. Could it have been because of that big thing that had come swimming towards them?

There was just too much he didn't know, and the only person who could provide some answers was probably sleeping soundly like a big baby in her room at the moment.

And speaking of sleeping soundly like a big baby… Grimmjow was still asleep.

"Wake up…" he mumbled, not even realizing he'd said it aloud.

This was such a predicament that just having Grimmjow awake would have made him feel a  _little_  better. Though, there was no telling what he would do when he found out the situation…

* * *

"Hey, where are you going!?" Kon shouted as he watched Nel heading to the boating shop's main door.

"I've had enough of just sitting around… and that old guy is creepy! Why's he even got a black eye when nobody comes here?!" she replied, whispering the last part, "The storm seems to be over now, and I wanna go see if our friend is okay."

Sitting quietly for a moment, Kon watched as she left without a word. Chances were she wasn't going to be coming back. "Damn it! Why do I always have to follow everyone around helplessly!?" he pouted as he hopped down off the counter and ran after her. "Wait for me! Please! My legs aren't as long as your goddess-like ones!" he called as he chased Nel down the beach.

It was nighttime, pretty and dark. The moon was out, its pale light reflecting off the water's surface. And the stars hung up in the sky, twinkling and sparkling adamantly. Being on the beach at night sure was an enchanting memory.

"Heeeeey! Wait for me!"

The moment she spotted Pantera, Nel felt her heart flutter with relief. He'd really sat in that same spot and rode out the storm all because that was where the last of Grimmjow's scent was. Truly, he was a loyal companion. And the more she thought about it, the better it was that he was so determined to find his master. If he'd left that spot, then they would be lost when it came to knowing which way to go because the storm would have washed the trail away. "You waited here all that time… Grimmjow must've done something right in his life to deserve you." she said as she reached the panther.

Pantera looked up to her for a brief moment, his light blue eyes glowing and his gray fur still a bit wet, and then looked back out to sea.

"Hey, I'm sure he's fine. Look we can go get a boat and-" The second she turned her attention out to sea, Nel stopped talking and grew shocked and confused, "H-hey… where'd that… path come from?" she asked. "I know it wasn't there before… the storm…"

"What's going on!?" Kon asked as he finally caught up with Nel. When he saw it, he, too, was confused. "Well I wasn't expecting that."

"Hey…" Nel began, "If this is exactly where Ichigo and Grimmjow's scents end, and this sand path is here leading to… what looks like an island…" she said as she squinted to see that there was indeed an island on the midnight horizon, "then they must've been heading there!"

"You wanna walk that path to the island, don't you?" Kon lamented.

"We have to! Besides, it beats trying to get a boat from that old guy in the shop…" Nel replied, and then realized why the man had a black eye and broken nose. Grimmjow must've done that.

Pantera stood on all fours, shook his fur to get it any bit dryer than it was, and then started walking the path laid out before him.

"H-hey! Wait for us!" Nel shouted, then quickly scooped Kon up in her arms and ran after the large panther. To her surprise, the sand was completely dry. The path was wide, at least a few meters across, and the water on each side acted it as if it were just like the beach, swaying back and forth against it.

Looking up to the dazzling night sky, she smiled. This adventure to Ichigo was turning out to be more fun than she thought.  _"We'll see you very soon, you berry head."_ She thought with the moon reflected in her hazelnut-gray eyes.

* * *

As Grimmjow began stirring, Ichigo forced himself to wake up fully, as he'd been in and out of sleep for the past forty minutes.

"G-Grimmjow." He said, then leaned in close.

Grimmjow's eyes glowed brightly as they came open. He tried backing away as Kurosaki moved in and gave him a barrage of kisses, but was held in place by him. "Kurosaki…"

"We're okay. We're alive." Said man answered, then planted a final kiss on Grimmjow's temple. He was more than relieved to see Grimmjow wake up.

"Alive…?" As he recalled what happened just before he lost consciousness, Grimmjow shot up and looked around, "Where are we!?"

Ichigo put a firm hand on the Arrancar's shoulder, "We're… probably leagues under the sea." He answered calmly.

"N-no! No way!"

"Hey, calm down! We need to stay quiet!"

"Quiet?! How can I-"

After pulling Grimmjow close, Ichigo started whispering, "We're in deep shit. If we get caught by the people in this place, they're going to kill us."

"Then why're we lying in a fucking bed like we're invited guests?"

"The… princess found us and saved us."

"Princess? What princess?"

"Of the Oceanians. Look, I don't know the details, but apparently we owe her our lives. The best thing we can do is not have her get in trouble because she saved us instead of letting us drown. So be quiet and be grateful."

Grimmjow snatched his shoulder free, closed his eyes, and pinched the bridge of his nose.

Ichigo sighed when he saw him do it, "I know it's hard to be so helpless… Heck, I don't even know where our swords are, the crystals are missing… probably at the bottom of the sea by now… and neither of us has the Reiatsu to do anything. For now, we just need to wait. You understand, don't you?"

"…Kurosaki, why don't we have our swords?"

"Well… I guess because the princess either has them, and if she doesn't, then… they could also be on the ocean floor…"

Cerulean eyes ran the room over. "…I can't fucking believe this…"

Truly, Grimmjow had never felt so trapped. Even when he was in Seireitei, it was better than this because he hadn't been totally surrounded by water—his biggest weakness. This was one of his worst nightmares in a nutshell.

"We'll be okay." Ichigo assured, "And hey, we can even try getting the crystal while we're here."

"The last thing I'm concerned about is a  _crystal_. Do you even know what you need them for? This whole little trip to find them has been nothing but troublesome…"

Ichigo avoided looking at Grimmjow, "Well, I know I'll need them to get into the High Palace… Cheer up. We've got three so far. The other seven might be easy to get."

"Seven? Kurosaki, if I wanted to wait that long to get my arm back, I'd just literally do nothing at all. It's been like five days and we only have three!"

"I know… Look, nobody said it would be easy. But just think, once we get through this, you'll have your arm back. Don't give up. Having you here has made this… easier… in  _some_  ways." Ichigo admitted. He didn't want to think about doing this alone anymore now that he was so used to having Grimmjow with him.

"Oh I won't give up. I've come this far already." Grimmjow stated with absolute determination. He was  _getting_  his arm healed, no matter what.

"I'm glad to hear that." Ichigo smiled.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Grimmjow fell back onto the bed and closed his eyes. For a moment, he did allow himself to wonder about where his panther was. It shouldn't have taken him this long to find him. But considering he was under the sea now, there was no way they'd meet up until he left this place, at least.

"You alright?" Ichigo asked.

"I'm really horny."

Ichigo sweatdropped. "That's… probably the first time you've been blunt about it like that…"

"Strip out of your clothes, Kurosaki."

"Hey, I'm not a prisoner in your quarters anymore. You can't just order me around."

"But you want it, don't you?" Grimmjow asked suggestively, opening his bright, glowing eyes to stare at Ichigo.

Blushing and admittedly turned on, Ichigo looked away. "Idiot… Who says I want it now?"

"That expression gives you away pretty easily. Stop playing around and get over here."

Ichigo folded his arms. "I'm not that easy."

Grimmjow's eyes flashed and he sat up. With ease, he crawled over to Ichigo and pinned him down, using his one large hand to hold Ichigo's wrists above his head. "Don't act like you don't want me to strip you naked and fuck your brains out. That's  _all_  you want, isn't it?"

Warm breath in his face, Ichigo closed his eyes. It was really enjoyable to play with Grimmjow. "You're more full of yourself than-" he stopped and drew in a quick breath through his teeth the very second he felt sharp teeth biting the small of his neck, "Ah! That hurts!"

"Quiet." Grimmjow ordered, as he licked at the new wound. "Since we're both pretty much out of Reiatsu, I guess you're just ready for the taking. We both know my physical strength is greater than yours."

Ichigo bucked and thrashed about under the Arrancar, trying to prove him wrong. But it was true. Grimmjow was more of a warrior than he was. He'd seen real battle before, probably many times more than Ichigo could ever dream of seeing.

If he didn't have feelings for Grimmjow, he'd have challenged him right there and then to a fair fight.

But right now, he did feel for him. He wanted this more than he would say.

When he thought about it, this was all a bit too odd and new to him.

This  _idea_.

Of this  _love_.

Because, for all his life, he just sort of expected to be with someone like Inoue, someone he would easily trump in physical strength as surely as the sun rose from day to the next day. Someone who needed his support in battle. But Grimmjow was different; practically nothing like her. He was strong, and not just mentally like Inoue. This was someone he could literally go toe-to-toe with and, more than likely, wind up bloody and pummeled all over, but give a thorough beatdown to as well. And when it really came down to it, he wouldn't submit to Grimmjow in a  _fair_  fight… but sex was another story. There was pleasure in both sex and battle, to give and take, but still, something about this was on another level—incomparable to clashing blades.

From their first encounter, it seemed they were just destined to be together this way. And he accepted their roles as their norm because he  _enjoyed_  it that way. Strength was out of the question, but only in these brief moments of lust between them.

"Kurosaki…"

"Yeah?" he answered, then started nipping at Grimmjow's ear with his teeth.

"I… I've grown too used to fucking you. No one else will do…" Grimmjow whispered, "It's thrilling… but one day, you and I will fight each other again."

"Why? You should be avoiding that since you beat me twice now. I may even the odds."

"We both know why I won those fights…"

Ichigo felt his heartbeat start speeding up. He was glad that Grimmjow was willing to acknowledge it. "Yeah… But still, you outmaneuvered me both times. Wins are wins."

"Tell me you want to defeat me." Grimmjow breathed out, releasing Ichigo's wrists to start running his hand up the warm torso beneath him, "I want that thrill again."

"I do. With all my power. But…"

"But?"

"Well… It's different now…"

"How so?"

Ichigo brought both his hands up and ran them through Grimmjow's soft hair, then smiled at the resulting purrs he caused from deep within Grimmjow's throat. "It just  _is_ … I don't want to kill you… I never did, actually. But now, there's nothing at stake between us. I have no real reason to fight you."

"I still want to kill you." Grimmjow said unexpectedly.

"Why?"

"Because you're strong. Too strong, even though you keep it hidden behind the idea that you're a medic."

"But if you killed me, how could you fuck me?"

"Good question!" Grimmjow said eagerly as he made quick work of the clothes keeping their bare skin apart. Honestly, he didn't know the answer, nor was he concerned about it. That was the future's problem. This was now. And when he took hold of Ichigo's member, he smirked, "You're wet already."

"Leave me alone…"

"You can't resist me and you know it."

"That pride you have in yourself is overbearing sometimes."

"Says you." Grimmjow responded lowly, then ran his thumb along the tip, coating it in Ichigo's precum.

"Hey Grimm, do you like oral sex?"

"Not really. Why waste time when the main course is right in front of me?"

"But you used to make me do it all the time!"

"That was before I got attached to this ass of yours. But if you want to go down on me, I won't stop you."

"Just… fuck me… jeez…"

"As you wish." Grimmjow said. He sat up and spit in the palm of his hand, then started stroking himself until he was as hard as possible for Ichigo's beckoning hole. And when he was done preparing himself, he quickly stuck his fingers into the man beneath him. "Hey, you're not as tight as you used to be."

"It's  _your_  fault!" Ichigo blushed angrily. That didn't exactly sound like a compliment.

"Heh, can't argue there." After pulling his fingers out of the warm hole, Grimmjow positioned himself perfectly in front of it. "You ready?"

"Yeah." Ichigo said. He closed his eyes as he felt the stiff member pushing past his skin barrier, sliding into him until it reached his prostate. When Grimmjow started moving in and out of him, he gripped the sheets and moaned, breathed in and out heavily, and felt warmth in his chest. Yes. This was the love he laughed at Nel and ridiculed her about suspecting. This was him  _needing_  Grimmjow, not just wanting him. This, this desire between them, was something he could not live without.

And when he felt Grimmjow speed up and get close to him, he instinctively reached out and dug is fingernails into the man's large back, not feeling any resistance from the Hierro that had saved him before. Hungrily, he kissed Grimmjow all over his face. His thick skeletal mask was no exception.

Every inch of Grimmjow was his, tailor made just for him. The two of them were meant to be together, and he would someday, without fail, make this Arrancar believe that.

"Keep your hands out of there!" Grimmjow ordered when he felt Ichigo playing around the hold in his lower abdomen.

"It feels so nice, though…"

A little annoyed that Ichigo wouldn't stop screwing around, Grimmjow bit him again.

"Aah!"

"Come on! Stop playing there!"

"But Grimm-"

"It fucking tickles!"

With that new knowledge now his, Ichigo busted out in a fit of laughter, "Wow, is that why I can't ever-"

Grimmjow buried his face in the pillows and sped up his pace, using what little of his Reiatsu was left to help him out, and making Ichigo go numb. More and more he fucked, without stop, without remorse, for as many minutes as he could squeeze out of his energy. Kurosaki had asked for this. Begged for it, even. Must've enjoyed it because it wasn't much longer before he felt the warm semen shoot out on his stomach.

Still, he knew he'd gotten his point across because he no longer felt Kurosaki playing around his Hollow hole anymore. In fact, he didn't feel those kisses of his, or any response from him for that matter.

"Kurosaki." He breathed out as he finished inside him.

No answer.

Pulling back, his eyebrows went up his forehead as he saw the orange-head's eyes half-closed and rolled to the back of his head.

Blushing just the tiniest bit, Grimmjow pulled out of him and looked him over. If there was one thing he was certain of, it was that he was addicted to this fine piece of work named Kurosaki, Ichigo.

After making sure Ichigo wasn't having a seizure, and was, in fact, just knocked out from the pleasure, yes, definitely  _pleasure_ , as that was all Grimmjow could give a person when it came to mating, he laid down on top of the smaller man, pulled the blankets over them, and then closed his eyes for the night. There was no more time for playing games like what happened with Kenjou. If anyone came in in the morning, they would know for sure that this kid was not on the market for a mate.

"I win this round, you little pansy." He told Ichigo before he fell asleep on top of him.

And in that moment, the fact that he was surrounded by water was completely forgotten to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Crystals: Darkness, Jungle, Lightning Clouds
> 
> Remaining Crystals: Deep Sea, Wind Valley, Earth Crater, Ice Cavern, Light, Island Archipelago, Volcano
> 
> A/N: I'll give reminders periodically for you all, and it may come up in the story as well. I'm trying for weekly updates, so bear with me. This should progress the story better. And I hope this chappie was okay. I'm no longer working from the overview.
> 
> Also, I have big plans for Grimmjow and Ichigo in one of the upcoming trials!


	48. swimmers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: There are some mentions of mature content. But overall, it's a pretty clean chappie.

Ichigo could have woken up with a smile on his face. Grimmjow was lying on top of him, the room was lit up thanks to the surrounding waters, which, from its glow, indicated it must've been morning, and he had a fuzzy memory about last night, only recalling the beginning of his lover's go-round with Grimmjow. Yes, he  _could_  have woken up contently.

But the second he tried lifting Grimmjow's heavy frame off of him, he felt  _it_. The warm, sticky end result of what they did last night, stuck in between them, an adhesive of sorts along their stomachs.

He cringed a bit, blushed when he realized it was his, and then forced himself and Grimmjow apart with embarrassment. Sitting up, he looked about the room for his clothes. As expected, they were lying on the floor beside the bed.

However, he knew there was no sense in putting them on just yet. He was covered in his own bodily emissions. Well, his stomach, anyway.

As if that wasn't the icing on the cake, when he shifted his weight, getting on his hands and knees to reach down and grab his clothes to at least have them close, he felt what Grimmjow had left inside him start making its way out of him. It oozed its way out slowly, and he sat up straight to keep it in. God forbid these people have any sort of black light…

"A bathroom…" he said anxiously under his breath.

Hopping over Grimmjow quickly, he got off the bed and went over to the door.

Still locked.

There was a doorway to the opposite side of the room that he hadn't seen before in the darkness, or the suddenness of Mizumi's entrance and Grimmjow's horniness, so maybe there was a tub through that opening.

Hurrying over to it, he noticed that it wrapped around behind the wall that was at the head of the bed he and Grimmjow shared. In his naked glory, he went down the dim hallway and found himself in a small room where water was abundantly pouring into the room through small waterfalls, and then being filtered out through the floor.

"This'll do." He told himself, then walked over to one of them.

Reaching out, he expected to be bombarded by an ice-cold water temperature. To his surprise, the water that ran across his hand was warm. Warmer than expected, anyway. It meandered through the crevices in his young palm, and he watched as it ran out of his palm and made its way down to the holes in the floor.

It wasn't two more seconds before he let the water run his entire body over, getting into every nook and cranny it could with its soothing touch. His tan skin shined and glistened as it was coated and bathed.

"Freakin' Grimmjow…" he muttered as he paid particular attention to rinsing his stomach off and  _emptying_  his rear end of the intrusive fluid—no further details need be added on the subject of  _that_.

Ichigo blushed at knowing that he'd had Grimmjow's little swimmers inside him for the entirety of the night. In fact, having them inside him at all was strange… Though, he knew it amounted to nothing. He wasn't a woman, first of all, and secondly, by nature, the ass was not how children were conceived.

The mere  _idea_  of bearing Grimmjow's child… He shuddered thinking of any woman who found herself pregnant for the Arrancar. That would undoubtedly be one wild, wily child. It also made him consider what role Grimmjow would play in the pregnancy. Would he help out and be there to support his mate? Or would he push them away the way he did everyone else…?

He dismissed the thought of Grimmjow having another altogether. Grimmjow had said it himself. He was "addicted" to him. There would hopefully be no woman out there to take his eyes away like that night from so, so long ago with the concubine, or the time in the Phantom Forest with the forest sprite.

How many lovers had Grimmjow had, anyway?

He found it weird that he was so curious. But it wasn't as much a need to know as it was jealousy. The thought of someone out there who could give a detailed account of what having relations with Grimmjow got him a bit irritated.

"What is wrong with me…?" he wondered vocally. This was foolish.

If he wanted Grimmjow, he could very well go in the other room this very moment and take him.

 _Take_  him.

"…"

Would Grimmjow even allow such a thing? Could he be the one on top for once?

Ichigo wondered what Grimmjow would look like, moaning beneath him, breathless with ecstasy. Would he beg for more, be uncomfortable, would he  _blush_? Ichigo hadn't seen Grimmjow blush from pleasure before, only embarrassment.

Still, every once in a while, even norms needed to be challenged…

When he saw his hands starting to shrivel as they normally did when one stayed in the water for too long, Ichigo stepped out from under it and started walking to the hallway again. Various thoughts about Grimmjow settled in his mind, and then went on their way, only to be replaced with more thoughts as he headed through it, going back to the room.

He found Grimmjow sleeping soundly on the bed, just as he left him, naked and with his back turned.

That black '6' was still prominent on his lower backside, his pride and duty displayed for the world to see through it. An Arrancar—the sixth most powerful of them all. It was quite a heavy title he carried on his shoulders… Back in Seireitei, that amounted to captain status.

For a moment, Ichigo wondered what the other Espada were like… besides Nnoitra. That one with green eyes seemed like a decent, albeit uninterested, character.

Even in his curiosity about the others, there was one lying naked before him that he wanted who was begging for recognition, attention, and unknowingly begging to be loved.

Ichigo walked around the bed and stopped in front of Grimmjow, staring down at him with eyes half-lidded with fondness. Grimmjow looked very peaceful. It was nice that he could rest so soundly, since, when he woke up, he would probably fret about how they were under the sea again.

His torso moved up and down rhythmically as he breathed, and his heartbeat could even be seen through his broad chest. He was too nice a picture to resist.

After kneeling down, Ichigo leaned in and gently pressed his wet lips against the protruding skeletal mask on Grimmjow's face, that he now felt was quite dry. Then, he kissed the side of his sharp nose, then his fur-covered eye lids, and then-

Grimmjow's eyes parted the tiniest bit, and Ichigo calmly backed off a little.

"What the… Kurosaki?"

"Hey. Morning, Grimm." The orange-head smiled warmly. Reaching out, he ran his hand through the head of messy, cerulean hair in front of him. "Sleep okay?" His previous irritation about the mess they'd slept in seemed much less significant in the face of his affection.

"I slept fine…" Grimmjow replied as he sat up, a bit irritated that Ichigo was trying to force him into pleasured submission as  _soon_  as he woke up by massaging his hair and scalp. He let this kid too far in, now that he thought about it. No one knew about that little quirk of his, not even Pantera.

Looking down, he saw that his stomach was wet, each little muscular crease covered in the result of last night's romp.

Ichigo stood up and looked away, embarrassed. That was his mess all over him.

"You can go rinse yourself off in the room at the end of the hallway back there." He indicated, pointing the way he'd just entered the room from.

Tossing the sheets back carelessly, Grimmjow threw his feet onto the floor and stood up. He stared into Ichigo's eyes for a brief moment before going over to the glass, domed wall across the room. "We need to get back to the surface." He said as he touched the cold glass cautiously.

Ichigo walked over and touched it as well, "Hey… Grimm."

"What?"

"Think you could shoot through this with a Cero?"

Cerulean eyes went wide and eyebrows furrowed, "Are you fucking insane?! I'm not gonna destroy the  _one thing_  that's keeping us and the entire fucking ocean separated! The entire fucking ocean, Kurosaki!" the Arrancar roared, making sure to shout the last part right in Ichigo's ear.

Ichigo cringed, "Jeez… I was only kidding…"

"Don't joke about that kind of shit!" Grimmjow huffed, fuming, and then flipped about face and headed to that aforementioned hallway.

"He's such a child…" the orange-head said under his breath.

Walking the length of the glass, Ichigo wondered just how it was they would escape this place… Not to mention with the crystal. And for that matter, he needed to find his own crystals and his and Grimmjow's Zanpakutōs. That girl had said she was coming back, didn't she?

Grimmjow's little rinse didn't take long. He came out of the hallway with wet hair and glistening skin.

"Hey," Ichigo grinned when he walked over to him, "Wanna make a break for it?"

An eyebrow rose, "Are you serious? Didn't you say they'd kill us?" Grimmjow asked as he stepped into his clothes that had been forgotten on the floor last night.

"Yeah, but we can't just-"

A clicking at the door made both of them freeze.

"Are you humans still sleeping?" Mizumi asked as she entered, her question a bit more offensive than she realized. "Oh, you're up."

"We don't sleep all day!" Ichigo retorted.

"Come with me." The princess ordered.

"Eh?"

"Or stay here and rot in this room."

After squinting at this child's arrogance, Ichigo folded his arms and walked over to the door. Grimmjow stood stock still, staring at Mizumi intently.

"What's his deal?" she asked when she noticed, squinting and blushing.

Ichigo ran over to Grimmjow hastily, "Don't you dare try anything!" he hissed in his ear. "She's our only ticket around this place, probably  _out_  of this place as well, and she's our only source of information!"

"Didn't you just say we should make a-" A hand over his mouth prevented Grimmjow from saying anything more.

"Just go along with what she wants for now."

"Ahem!" Mizumi tapped her foot on the floor impatiently, "I don't have all day!"

"R-right!" Ichigo said, then took Grimmjow by the arm and led him to the door.

"Silly humans…"

* * *

Ichigo and Grimmjow stared at Mizumi as if she was mad when she stopped by a room down a hallway with a ceiling so high it resembled Las Noches and pulled out two green cloaks.

"Here, put these on." She said. "Do it or you'll be spotted!" she continued when they didn't listen to her.

"Won't you look weird walking around with two cloaked figures?" Ichigo asked as he took a cloak from her.

"No because, first of all, no one's really here in the sleeping quarters, and second of all, there's a meeting today."

"Meeting?" Ichigo repeated as he put his cloak on and pulled the hood over his head. It reminded him of his rouge-ish actions back in Seireitei for Grimmjow. Turning, he was glad to see the Arrancar had complied with Mizumi by putting his cloak on. However, seeing Grimmjow, someone so prideful and domineering, being obedient was… well… strange to put it simply. But this was good for him because, if he were to become king of Las Noches, he needed to learn to cooperate and not just be a dictator.

"Yeah… It's one my father usually heads where decisions about the kingdom are made. Some representatives of the people who stay in the town outside the palace come in to talk about any issues facing the regular folk, and Daddy makes decisions about what to do."

"Didn't you say he was missing? Your father?"

"Yeah…" Mizumi said glumly. "But no one knows anything. Sir Maelstro is heading the meeting in Daddy's stead."

Ichigo frowned, but when he noticed they were leaving the hallway and heading out into an open area, he spoke, "Where are we going?"

It was almost like a beach under the sea. The area was filled with sand, many vibrant flowers, and stacked coral reefs. The only thing missing was, well, the most obvious thing a beach needed: water. The entire kingdom they'd traveled through thus far was all full of air with only fountains, wells, and things of that nature here and there. It held a very similar feel to Seireitei, which made him start wondering where all the water was.

Coming to a halt in the sand, Mizumi stood in place, her back to the duo. "To play!" she suddenly said, turning around and smiling.

"P-play?!"

"Yup! Daddy's advisors told me not to interrupt their meeting today, to come play, and I always like playing in the ocean!"

"Ocean? What ocean?" Ichigo asked, looking around for water. As far as he could see, there was nothing but white sand.

Grimmjow turned to leave without a word.

"H-hey! Grimmjow…!" Ichigo said, "Don't wander off on your own…!"

"What's his problem?" Mizumi asked.

"Eh… He doesn't like water…"

"Doesn't like  _water_?! Wha- who-" the princess stumbled, trying her damndest to figure out who on Earhtia didn't love water.

Grimmjow rolled his eyes, but walked a bit further away from Ichigo and the Oceanian child. When he got far enough away from them, he took a seat in the sand and watched as Ichigo started talking to their little guide, teasing her and things of that nature. With the light pouring through the water from miles and miles above the sea, he couldn't help but feel a strange, almost unwanted attraction to him—a need to be near him. That's why he didn't leave completely. Well, that and because he knew his only chance in hell of surviving rested in finding his sword, which the princess could retrieve for him.

"So, how do you plan to play in water?" Ichigo asked, still looking around for a source of water.

"Well, you'll need to wear this." Mizumi replied, placing her hands on the man's stomach and releasing a bubble-like coating that spread across him in a matter of seconds.

"W-what  _is_  this?! It's so-"

"Now you have resistance to water pressure, and you don't have to worry about air."

Ichigo looked himself over, noting the many rainbow reflects shining on his coated skin. He grinned after a while, then found himself eager to get into some water.

Mizumi shook her head, "Calm yourself… It's like dealing with children…" she said. Then, without warning, she tore off towards something big and dark that appeared in the distance under the light.

"Hey!"

"You can't see it, but the water is just above us!" the girl shouted excitedly as she jumped into the air, disappearing not long after she did. Something rippled, then seemed to adjust itself.

It was a forcefield.

Someone or something was keeping the water out with a covering that was quite similar to the glass covering in the room Ichigo had found himself in. Only difference was this was pure energy, contrasted to the simple glass dome from before.

"Here goes!" A bit nervous, Ichigo ran after Mizumi, doing everything she did exactly as she had done it. And he, too, went through the barrier, finding himself surrounded in blue water. There was nothing in sight ahead or below, but behind him, the beach-like area of this kingdom was waiting, Grimmjow sitting there in the sand, too far away to see his face, and above, Mizumi swam like a pro up to what looked like a mass of balloons.

"What is that?!" he shouted.

"Time for some fun!" Mizumi declared, then threw herself at one of the floating objects. It lit up, revealing itself as the jellyfish Ichigo had seen before.

The second she touched it, it sent her flying to another, which lit up as well. This went on and on until she was almost out of sight, closer to the surface than the sea floor.

Ichigo wondered why they weren't hurting her. They were jellyfish, and he knew they were keen on stinging people. As a medic, he'd been introduced to marine organisms and their methods of defense when he was in school.

"Come on! They won't hurt you! I'm princess of these waters!" Mizumi called from up above. Her mood seemed much brighter now, much less annoying than she'd previously been. "Go with the flow and don't be slow about it!"

Ichigo nodded, not afraid of a little challenge. As long as he avoided the tentacles… "I'll be okay!" he shouted, swimming up as fast as he could. It wasn't as hard as he imagined it'd be, and as Mizumi had said, the pressure from being so deep was no issue at all.

As he approached a jellyfish, its tentacles still threateningly outspread, he swam through them carefully, keeping his speed, and then jumped atop its head. The moment he touched it, it lit up brightly, sending him flying up to the next against his will. Given the angle, none of the rest of the jellies he was sent to, like a pinball, aimed their tentacles anywhere near him. It almost seemed as if they enjoyed this little game.

Mizumi smiled down at Ichigo as he was shot around, lighting up the jellyfish one by one. With him around, she'd completely forgotten about her missing father or the problems facing her people now that he was gone…

When he finally shot out of the large smack, Ichigo couldn't help but laugh and hold his sides.

It was incredibly fun!

"Now aren't you glad you came to play?" Mizumi asked.

"Yeah, that was pretty entertaining. I could have died, but instead had a great time. Maybe the danger is what made it so thrilling." Ichigo replied, then felt himself wondering if that's what Grimmjow had felt before during the days he was holed up in Las Noches.

The two were on totally different levels, as one was child's play and the other was sexual abuse, but still, he had a piece of what that thrill was Grimmjow went on about last night. Someday, they probably would fight again… Especially if Seireitei and Las Noches were to go to war.

But for now at least, they could be comrades.

"EEEEEEEUUUUOOOOOOOOOAAAA!" something cried.

Quickly, Ichigo threw his hands up and covered his ears. Behind Mizumi, something was swimming their way. Something big. Whatever it was, made a similar noised to the thing that he recalled from just before he passed out in the water.

"Mizumi! Be careful!"

"Huh?"

Ichigo wondered if his Reiatsu would disappear completely this time, taking even Grimmjow's reserve from him. "That thing is dangerous!" he continued, swimming to try getting to her before it did.

"Not he's not! This is Sir Juban!" Mizumi replied as the thing was upon her.

Sir Juban was a whale. A very large whale. White with green, clear fins, and blue eyes that put even the ocean to shame.

Ichigo backed away as it swam towards him with Mizumi hanging on to one of his fins. "He's the one who brought you guys here. I found you in his mouth!"

"He… he ate us?"

Mizumi made Sir Juban stop when he got close and let go of him, then swam down to Ichigo, "Yes, to protect you."

"From what?"

"…Sir… Sir Troban…"

* * *

Grimmjow picked up a white, spiked shell from the beach and threw it far ahead in irritation. There was too much going on for Kurosaki to be playing about as if he didn't owe him something. The feeling of his left arm was lost to him, and he wanted it back. He was incomplete without it.

Consequently, this was probably one of the lowest points in his adult life.

What a shock that it was Kurosaki who was the cause of it, and also how he was here to prolong any hope of raising him from this low point with this crystal-collecting journey.

He smacked his lips as a crab with a large claw on one arm and a significantly smaller claw on the other crossed his path. The world was mocking him mercilessly.

"What do you mean?" he heard Kurosaki ask. Turning, he saw him and the little girl coming his way. That coating she'd put on him was now gone, notably.

"Sir Juban won't fight Sir Troban… I don't know why."

Ichigo's eyes flocked to Grimmjow, and he smiled at him, "Hey."

"Done playing?" Grimmjow asked sharply, trying to avoid physical or verbal confrontation, as that was what he promised Kurosaki he would do. Had anything else left his lips, Kurosaki would pitch a hissy fit.

"I guess. But more importantly, did you see what attacked us before or boat was destroyed?" Ichigo replied.

"…I only saw something sharp and black piece the boat."

"Sir Troban's horn…" Mizumi commented. "He really has been acting strangely since he went near the shore."

"What shore? The one that leads to-"

"Yes, to the land you come from. When I think about it, Sir Troban never had a horn, nor was he violent."

"Hm…"

"Don't we have somewhere to go?" Grimmjow interrupted, uninterested in any creatures of the deep.

"Oh, right." Ichigo said.

"Yeah… I guess I can take you two to the temple. It's on the way to the meeting, and I think maybe I should tell the people about Sir Troban." The princess conceded.

Ichigo looked up at Sir Juban, who was swimming about under the sunlit waters. Suddenly, he swam away as fast as he could move his big body.

"It's him… He's here." Mizumi said nervously, then latched on to Ichigo as a dark shadow appeared. It swam overhead, making sure not to touch the barrier keeping the Oceanian Kingdom and the ocean itself separate. A pronounced horn of sorts, jagged along the length, made itself visible as the creature turned to profile view.

And, for the briefest moment as the monstrous creature shined its teeth in the light, Ichigo saw what looked like a piece of clothing that had similar markings as the ones lining the pillars in the castle.

"Mi-Mizumi! I think… Sir Troban  _ate_  your father!" he said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: If I'm honest, I wanted this chapter to be fun. I hope it was a good read.


	49. trial of deep sea

"Hey, where are you going?" Ichigo asked as Mizumi left his side, hurrying back towards the palace that was a ways away from the beach, as briskly as her legs could carry her. When he got no response, he started after her. He took a final glance at the horned creature swimming about menacingly under the sunlit water above. It cast quite a foreboding shadow, he noted.

Grimmjow, not knowing what else to do, followed after Ichigo, rolling his eyes as he did, without a word. Something was going on in this place, he could tell. Heck, he could practically  _smell_  it. No one's king—the highest authority and strongest person—is careless enough to be eaten so easily by something so obviously threatening…

Some foul play may have occurred…

"H-hey!" Watching as the princess went from fast-walking to running, Ichigo did the same, "Mizumi!"

"The temple is in town, hidden away under a secret grove by the giant waterfalls! I don't have time to talk anymore!" the Oceanian girl cried over her shoulder as she hurried up the long path of steps leading up the hill that went into the palace's back entrance.

"But what about you?!"

"I need to tell them!"

Ichigo let Mizumi go, stopping halfway on the steps. Left alone in this undersea world, chances were he would be spotted if he wasn't careful. Even if he was wearing his cloak, he and Grimmjow needed to tread carefully so as not to be spotted and captured. This situation wasn't one of the best he could've wound up in—trapped underwater without any real means to defend himself, as he wasn't adept with Kido, where he could be put out to sea to drown… The swim back to the surface was impossible. At the very least, Grimmjow spelled some means of defense in this desperate situation with his Ceros. "Hey Grimm." He called.

"What?" Grimmjow asked as he caught up to Ichigo on the steps.

"You have Reiatsu? Can you use your Ceros?"

"Of course. I'm not helpless like you,  _Court Guard_." The Arrancar mocked, "Shouldn't you know some other techniques besides using that Zanpakutō of yours?"

"Well… I  _should_ …"

"Usele-"

"Don't even!" Ichigo snipped and squinted. Looking around to make sure they weren't being watched, he pulled his hood up and instructed Grimmjow to do the same. This area seemed clear, and even the palace was clear of guards and anyone beyond simple maids and messengers. The more he went on, the more he saw that people here all bore similarities to Mizumi, varying individual to individual, of course. One thing most of the Oceanians were in agreeance about, it seemed, was foregoing clothes.

"What are you planning, Kurosaki?" Grimmjow asked as they walked down a hallway.

"…I don't know. We can't just go walking around through town like this, can we?" Ichigo commented, referring to their getups. Their cloaks made them look all the more conspicuous.

"I saw some guy doing face paintings on our way through the palace for some peasant children."

"You wha-

"Yep." The Arrancar interrupted without looking at Ichigo, wearing a disinterested look as if this information was not important in the least.

"You couldn't have said that  _before_?!"

"I like watching you squirm."

"Uuuugh!"

* * *

"So where is he?" Ichigo said, peeking around a corner with Grimmjow standing beside him, uninterested in playing spy.

"Somewhere near the fountain we went by."

Expectedly, there was a fountain in this courtyard they were in, but no face painter in sight… Ichigo scurried over to one of the pillars leading to the hallway ahead and, with his new view, spotted a man sitting on a large seashell, drawing on a flat slab of rock. There were no children around, so maybe he was taking a break.

After making sure no one was around, he motioned for Grimmjow to come with him and started walking over to the guy.

"I'm not really working at the moment, and I only draw for children. Parents are urged to watch only." The Oceanian quickly dismissed, looking the two cloaked figures over as they came over to him.

"We need your help." Ichigo said, kneeling down and getting close, "We think you'll  _want_  to help us out…"

Knowing exactly what to do from that tone Ichigo threw out, Grimmjow lifted his hand out from under his cloak and charged a small Cero, aiming it at their prey.

Bright red energy that was ready to run him through made the guy much more cooperative. "O-okay! Whatever it is, I'll do it! Just don't kill me!"

"Good." Ichigo smiled innocently, making a shooing motion with his hand to Grimmjow.

Grimmjow smacked his lips and hid his hand under his cloak again, his Cero and the Reiatsu he used for it gone to waste.

"What do you want from me?"

Removing his hood and revealing his head of bright orange hair and handsome human face, Ichigo smiled a bit deviously, "Face paintings. Make us look like one of you."

* * *

"Grimmjow, take off that skeletal mask."

"What?!" the Arrancar snapped.

"He can't hide that thing, and he's obviously having trouble blending it in with your face paint." Ichigo teased, hand on his hip. His own "face painting" had his face covered in pale paint with false, glittering scales low on his cheeks, his hair slicked back and painted a teal hue, and his neck sporting artificial gills.

Grimmjow needed quite a few changes. His tan skin was blended with white paint, somewhat preserving the sun-kissed skin he proudly sported towards the center of his face, his hair was left alone as it was already a "lively and beautiful" sea-inspired shade. His skeletal mask was the only thing proving troublesome in this undercover tactic. "I can't take it off, dipshit!"

"I know you can."

"Hey. What are you humans doing wandering around down here?" the artist asked curiously, his question lacking in the spite Ichigo expected it to have.

"We're just here by a stroke of fate. We won't be staying for long, though. The quicker we get to the surface, the better." The orange-head-turned-teal replied.

"The kingdom has enough problems right now... Please, since I helped you avoid being caught, don't cause any trouble. If I hear about intruders breaking rules and making a mess of the life we've been preserving down here, I'll rat you out in an instant."

"Oh  _really_?" Grimmjow dared.

"Leave him, Grimm." Ichigo said, "Trust me, we're on a short visit here. And we have no intention of causing trouble."

"Hm… By the way, there's nothing I can do about that mask. Just call it a deficiency or something."

Ichigo could see the displeasure in Grimmjow's expression, reading him like an open book, "It's what makes him who he is. It's no deficiency."

Standing quickly, Grimmjow left the Oceanian be.

"Thanks for helping us." Ichigo said, then followed his partner in  _crime_.

"Kurosaki, let's go to the temple."

"No, not yet."

"Huh? Why the hell not? We don't have to sneak around anymore! This is the perfect chance! Didn't you say we were going there?"

"I did, but… We're gonna spy on that meeting instead. If we can prove ourselves by helping retrieve the king and solving whatever problems this place is facing before even going to the temple, we could get the crystal and go that much quicker."

That was a decent argument, "Tch… Fine." The Arrancar said.

With their hoods down and new Oceanian looks on display for the kingdom to see, Ichigo and Grimmjow made their way around the palace until they found some clues as to where the civil meeting was being held. Luckily, it seemed many of the workers running about were talking about it, many hoping they'd discuss how to find and recover the king... even if it turned out to be just his corpse...

"Here, huh?" Ichigo said, looking around a corner. He'd surely fit in with Soi-Fon's squad with all this sneaking he'd been doing on this journey… But since they changed their appearances, he figured they should be able to roam about this place without taking such roundabout measures like avoiding being spotted. And it was a civil meeting, so why not pose as normal civilians? "Alright, let's go in." He told Grimmjow, and then walked over to the large doors.

Grimmjow followed, not exactly interested in listening to peasants whine, but did so quietly as he always did. If this could get him out of this hell on earthia, he was all for it. Kurosaki seemed to be doing most of the work so far, so he'd let him continue doing so until he showed signs of needing help.

As Ichigo slipped into the meeting hall, which was much prettier than he thought it'd be with its hanging oceanic chandeliers, large mosaic windows, and sparkling waters pouring out of the walls, he took one of the empty seats in the back. He made sure to scoot a little closer to Grimmjow when the Arrancar sat down beside him. There were many types of Oceanians attending this meeting. Some looked like nobles from their jewelry and fancy robes. Mizumi said Oceanians didn't wear clothes, but did some wear them as signs of wealth? Even the people lining the panel up front were wearing attractive, velvety robes. It must have been a sign of wealth because the people closer to the center and back of the meeting hall were wearing nothing at all.

Sitting at the center of the panel was a peculiar Oceanian with dark hair that he wore proudly. His eyes, too, were dark. And around his neck dangled something that was reminiscent of the crystals Ichigo sought.

Currently, there were discussions going back and forth between civilians and some of the leaders about random affairs: irrigation issues, uncontrolled foliage, polluted waters, and things of that sort. It was just like any other meeting Ichigo had ever scarcely attended back home. They were boring, but his father always insisted he go to learn how the kingdom worked. "…!" his brown eyes located Mizumi, who was being held on the second floor of the hall by a slightly plump, female Oceanian. It was probably to keep her in line during the meeting, as she seemed quite shaken to hear what happened to her father. This wasn't the place to bring something like that up in front of so many civilians, but still, the higher-ups should hear it soon. Maybe they could even save him if they acted in time, assuming it wasn't too late.

"Maelstro-sama, please! You're acting as the king in his disappearance! Do something about the lack of food in the kingdom! Fishermen won't work for nothing, and wages are too low to make up for what you've been doing here in the castle!" a citizen pleaded.

"There is nothing I can do personally. You all must handle what you have yourselves. Rest assured, fortifying the palace and keeping the staff here satisfied is no easy task. That monster could return and attack us at any time. Moreover, King Oki didn't personally handle those issues, did he?" the dark-haired Oceanian, now identified as Maelstro, replied.

"He did! He at least came into town to check on his people! Heck, he even gave to the children when they asked him to! You've yet to even come out of this castle since you took over a few months ago!"

"Enough. I won't discuss that matter anymore. On to the next topic, please."

Ichigo felt himself growing a bit irritated, if not enraged. This townswoman was begging for assistance, and the king, the person everyone was supposed to rely on, was ignoring her? That wasn't okay. This Maelstro fellow needed to be removed from his throne, and someone more worthy needed to take over.

"If you won't, let the princess take the throne! It's her birth right, anyway!"

A lot of gasps and conversing about the idea began spreading throughout the room. Mizumi looked shocked to hear something like that come from a civilian.

"Guards! Get that woman out of here!" Maelstro roared, shaking the meeting hall into absolute silence.

Two brawny Oceanians came from either hallway beside the panel and took the woman by her arms. Neither looked as though they enjoyed the act, however, every man and Oceanian had their price. They were surely being rewarded for their continued loyalty and service.

Political corruption at its finest.

"That's not okay…" Ichigo commented to himself, earning the glowing eyes of his Arrancar comrade. "The people should be regarded with the utmost respect…"

Grimmjow continued looking on as more and more complaints began flying at Maelstro. What he did was simply make empty promises to resolve the problems he apparently never knew existed.

"This is not right!" Mizumi's voice rang throughout the hall, silencing all in its wake. All eyes on her, Mizumi tore free from the person holding her and disappeared from the second floor, only to reappear on the first through one of the hallways. A determined walk was what she gave as she made her way up to the panel of advisors and Maelstro. Walking right past the first three, she stopped right in front of Maelstro, who looked at her calmly.

"What's not right?" he asked.

"You can't just say something without meaning it! The common folk are our livelihood, they run this kingdom! We're just here to hear what they have to say and make sure something gets done about it! Not just do what we want and fatten ourselves up while they live in misery!"

Grimmjow eyed her for a moment, his interest in another's view of kingship perked the tiniest bit.

"Your tongue is out of line, princess." Maelstro replied.

"I'm the princess! I can say whatever I want! This will be my kingdom someday! You're just standing in for my father!"

"I said watch your tongue."

Mizumi squinted, "If you were anywhere on my daddy's level-"

A smack rang through the room, loud and strong. Everyone in the vicinity who was looking on wore looks of pure shock as the princess fell off the podium onto the floor. Her eyes were wide, her cheek red, and tears threatened to run over desperate for escape.

With gritted teeth, Ichigo made to stand, but a strong hand on his right shoulder stopped him.

"Kurosaki, sit down." Grimmjow said, using his arm to hold him in place. The fact that he went to the effort to turn so he could said something in and of itself.

"But-"

"This isn't something we can get caught up in so foolishly. Sit down. We can deal with whatever's going on once things have calmed down. Plus, you can't fight even if you wanted to."

Ichigo bit back his anger, realizing that he'd let his emotions get the better of him. Still, seeing Mizumi pick herself up off the floor and stand alone against the man who struck her was something he couldn't easily watch.

"I am the king now! Your father is gone to only heaven knows where, and left me, first in command of his board of advisors, to pick up where he left off!" Maelstro told Mizumi as he stood over her, raising his fist in a dutiful manner, "Get her out of my sight right now! Lock her in her quarters and don't let her out until I say so!"

"Sir!" the same two large Oceanians from before said in unison.

"Daddy'll make this right! Just you wait! I'll find him and he'll knock you off your pedestal! Everyone!" Mizumi cried out, "I'm going to find him and make this alright! I promise that on my right to the throne!" she told the people as the two guards escorted her out of the meeting hall.

Then there was silence. No one dared oppose the standing-in king now.

Regaining his calm and collected composure, Maelstro took his seat and turned to his left advisor. "What's next on the agenda?" he asked like he hadn't just struck a royal.

"O-oh! Um… We needed to address the issue of the unruly teenagers acting like truants." The advisor fidgeted, still recovering from what she just saw.

"Right then. I invite any comments and information from the audience, particularly any teachers out there."

So angry that he felt his Reiatsu spiking, Ichigo stood up and left the meeting room. He was going to find Mizumi. She needed someone to be there for her now. She was alone, vulnerable, yet still trying so hard to preserve what reputation her father had among the people.

It was nothing less than admirable for a child to do such a thing.

Parents have greater influences on their children than they realize.

For some reason, as he walked down one of the decorative halls, notably with paintings of Maelstro hung diligently, he felt a tugging in his lower stomach that made him double over in slight pain. "Augh!" he cried, holding on to his abdomen.

"Heh, Kurosaki, what the hell are you doing?" Grimmjow asked from behind, almost curious enough to laugh. He'd been following Ichigo for a bit, noting how upset he was. Seeing him seemingly attacked and suddenly falling over was so unexpected and counteractive to that anger of Kurosaki's that it was comical.

"Rgh! Nothing…!" said man grunted, then stood up and continued on through the dissolving pain in his stomach. "You don't have to come if you don't want to!"

"You're right, of course. But… I do what I want." Grimmjow said as he walked a few paces behind Ichigo.

* * *

Sniffing and lying face down on her bed in her dark room, Mizumi held on to the necklace she'd been given as a child and told to keep safe by her mother. The cerulean rock glowing brightly with its serene, sublime carvings in it had always given her comfort when she needed it, and she needed it now more than ever. It reminded her of the woman she yearned to see just once more... "Mommy…"

Her room was quiet. Quiet, dark, but so beautiful thanks to the glowing jellies floating about in the waters above the glass dome ceiling she had. It was as if they meant to console her and bring back her gorgeous young smile. Essentially, her room was very much like the one she locked Ichigo and Grimmjow in. The entire ocean above could be seen from her room, as that is what she wanted, being the princess of it.

A sudden, familiar presence in her room made her sit up and look over her shoulder. "Minazuki-san." She said, wiping her eyes as the Zanpakutō spirit stood beside her bed.

"I know I'm being childish, but the people need someone who cares about them! Not someone who just wants to be king!"

"…"

"I was going to tell them about what Ichigo said, but… I can't just make a claim like that with the only proof I have being that I saw it.  _I_  have to do something!  _I_  have to make this right! It's my duty as his daughter…"

"…"

"Maybe Ichigo can help me." The princess said half-heartedly, looking into the corner where the ebony and ivory swords were standing, the darker leaning against the white one. "And…" taking a glance over at the three glowing crystals floating on the water's surface of the tiny pond she had in her room, she sighed, "Maybe I can use those to-"

"Mizumi!"

Minazuki seamlessly floated back to where there was no light.

The door flew open and Ichigo burst into the room, looking all around for the princess.

"Ugh!" Mizumi said, wiping her eyes and hiding her necklace under her pillow, "Have you never heard of knocking before entering! And what makes it okay to burst into a lady's room like this?!"

"Mizumi, I want to help you. If your father is alive, we can work together and get him out of Sir… Torban…?"

"Sir  _Troban_!" She corrected, "And why should I rely on you?!"

"…I saw what happened just now." Ichigo's words shocked the girl, "You're brave, strong-willed. I admire that. But me, I'm physically strong. I can help you solve this problem, and save your father. You can finally stop living under that guy's reign."

Mizumi's eyes teared up, "I—I don't know…"

"You know we can't just take the crystal from the temple. Let us earn it by helping you."

"…"

"Tch, forget her!" Grimmjow said as he came into the room. The first thing he saw was the crystals floating on the water, then his eyes moved about the room in search of his weapon.

"Hey!" Mizumi shouted as Grimmjow walked over to the corner and snatched his sword up possessively. She watched silently as he tossed Ichigo's to him.

Ichigo headed over to the pond and collected the three crystals floating about aimlessly, "Sorry, Mizumi. But even if you deny us, we're helping. I feel like that's-" The dark, hooded figure standing in the corner shocked him. "Who are you?!" he said, taking Zangetsu into his hand defensively.

"Don't! Minazuki-san won't hurt you!" Mizumi shouted.

"Minazuki?" Ichigo recalled, "That's… You're Unohana-san's Zanpakutō Spirit!"

Mizumi blinked in confusion, "Huh?"

"Never mind! This is perfect! Now we can talk about getting the crystal!"

"Minazuki-san doesn't talk…"

"What? Well… Figures…" Ichigo said, wondering how he could discuss his plans with the spirit, "Mizumi, can we talk Maelstro out of his kingship? Or do we have to  _persuade_  him."

"You can't do either. He won't listen to reason, that's why I'm not giving orders… He said I'm too young to be depended on. And…"

"And?"

"He's unrivaled with the Seasword. Well… now that my father is gone, that is. So you can't beat him…"

"Seasword?"

"Yes, a sword he formed with his own energy composed of pure water that cuts through even the earth itself. He used to practice with it down in the abyss… I guess when I heard that I should have known he was no good. But even so, my father's Seasword is stronger!"

"Hm… You said abyss. Like, where you can't explore because it's so dark and pressure-packed?"

"Yes. Well, maybe for humans… We just don't go there because there are so many unknowns there… It cuts through a good bit of Earthia, so I suppose it's no surprise you know something about it."

"…"

"Chickening out, Kurosaki?"

"No. I'm actually kinda excited! I get a once in a lifetime chance to take on an incredibly powerful guy under the sea!"

"…" As Ichigo and Grimmjow commenced banter about how Ichigo would wind up needing to be saved, Mizumi dried her remaining tears and gave quick glances to both humans. If she wanted things to be righted, she had to take the extraordinary chance given to her by the universe. "Okay, I'll help! We'll do this together!"

Ichigo pushed Grimmjow out of his face and smiled at her, "Glad to hear that!" he said.

"…" Grimmjow rolled his eyes. What could one little girl do to help them?

"Also… Since you brought this up, Ichigo…"

"Huh?"

Mizumi looked down to her sheets and clenched them between her webbed fingers, "I don't know why but… I can't help but feel like maybe… maybe Sir Maelstro… was the reason my father got eaten…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I must admit that I am quite excited for upcoming chapters for various reasons you'll all see soon! Do submit comments, grievances, complaints, or (by chance) praise by way of comment lol. I welcome your input, and am glad that I still have your interest! I'll let you all know that I've devised a way to shorten the Collection Arc, even if a little! (・/ε/・;)


	50. flOw

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Fifty chapters in... I don't really know what to say, but I never imagined I'd write something this long at such volume that's still got a lot to go. I guess it's helping me as a writer for my own original story... the pacing, storytelling, and things like that. If you don't know, I do plan to start my own graphic novel series someday ^^ It'll be better because I can use visuals instead of just words to make the story engrossing. Your feedback has been and will continue to help me develop guys! And while I do like the input (especially the critical input some give), I realize that as an author, sometimes I just have to do what I have to do and those who stay faithful will be rewarded.
> 
> So I say to you, enjoy the chapter!

Mizumi's words rang through the room suddenly, yet came as a surprise to no one who was present. Grimmjow'd had his suspicions about that almost immediately, and it was only reasonable to Ichigo that a usurper who sought kingship would so such a malicious thing. However, this was the simple surmise of the three and nothing more. There was no solid proof that Maelstro had done it.

Still, the time to act drew near. Whatever the cause of King Oki's disappearance, if he was even inside Sir Troban, they had to do something about it now.

"Mizumi, I have a plan." Ichigo said.

"What's that?" the girl asked.

"Let's split up and attack this problem head on. I'll go deal with Maelstro, Mizumi, you go with Grimmjow and see if you can get inside of Sir Troban to find your father. If all goes well, we may just save your kingdom."

" _Who_  deals with  _what_?" Grimmjow asked. "I'm not going into the water." He almost growled.

"Look who's scared now." Ichigo teased.

"Be quiet or I'll cut your tongue out!"

"Grimmjow, you're strong. I believe in you. Please," Ichigo started, staring at the Arrancar pleadingly, "Do this for me. For us. We can't get out of here without Mizumi's help. And we need the crystal. Sure, nothing guarantees that Minazuki-san will just hand over the crystal to us for doing this, but… we have to try! You can overcome this fear of deep water, or at least face it head on. You always assume I'll chicken out for whatever reason I don't know, but me… I believe in you and know you can do this! I never drop my faith in your battle prowess."

Mizumi got off her bed and headed over to her door. "Listen, I can do it alone." She said.

Ichigo turned to her, "What? That thing is a monster! You can't-"

"Kurosaki."

"Huh?" said man whipped back to Grimmjow.

"I'll do it."

"Haah! Really-"

"But you better not fucking fail!" Grimmjow hissed as he made his way out of the room.

"I won't! Find the king and bring him back, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. Come on, brat."

"You can't talk to me that way!" Mizumi hollered as she left her room.

"Good. Let's get this started!" Ichigo said, the last one to leave the room. He watched as Grimmjow walked down the hallway in the opposite direction he was going. Deep down, he knew he wouldn't let him down. And with Zangetsu back in his possession, he turned and mentally prepared himself for whatever would come his way in facing Maelstro.

"Ichigo."

"Huh? O—old man?"

"Yes, it's good to be with you again. I wanted to tell you more about what happened before you and I got separated… and to tell you about what's going with your Reiatsu."

"Go ahead. Any information would be great since I'm off to battle."

Zangetsu stared off at the mass of Reiatsu much further inside Ichigo's inner world before speaking again. "This was an unexpected development to say the least, but… Well, going from the beginning, I should tell you that whatever that creature was that attacked your ship is the reason your Reiatsu disappeared completely. It absorbed all that you had… I've never known for creatures of this world to be able to do that."

"Yeah, Mizumi said something about that thing acting strangely ever since he went near the continent. Maybe… Well… No, I can't simply assume that." Ichigo said as he walked through the high hallways. It was likely that he'd come into contact with Crownwell, but it was just a guess…

Zangetsu stared up at the sky as he continued speaking, "I sensed something dark inside that creature. But, you should realize that you may have sent that Arrancar off to his grave just now."

"What?!"

"Well, of course the same thing will happen again. It will steal his Reiatsu if he gets close in proximity to it."

"Shit…"

"And back to what I wanted to speak with you about…" the dark-haired spirit said as he turned his attention northward to where the unexpected development was, "As it was in the past, it seems that when your Reiatsu was drained completely, so was the reserve you had from the Arrancar."

"Really?! That's good! I'd been wondering how I could rid myself of it!" Ichigo smiled.

"However… the moment your Reiatsu returned, the other Reiatsu reappeared. I fear that… this may be a permanent adjustment you'll have to get used to."

Ichigo stopped walking completely and looked down to his lower abdomen, slowly placing his hand on it—where he knew the Reiatsu had made itself at home. Grimmjow's marking was permanent? Why was this so? And why could he not feel his Reiatsu marked on Grimmjow, since they were capable of marking each other?

This made no sense, but… Thinking back to the dark scar that ran down the front of Grimmjow's torso, he gave in and accepted this. Grimmjow could not rid himself of that mark, and it appeared he could not rid himself of Grimmjow's Reiatsu. Instead of letting himself be consumed by frustration, Ichigo simply smiled. If nothing else, perhaps this Reiatsu could be useful to him.

"Old man, I… I'm okay with this." He finally said, and started walking again.

"Well that's good to hear. I'll keep my eyes on it to ensure nothing nefarious comes about because of it. But for now, since you wish to just go with the flow, I'll go with it as well."

"As for Grimmjow…"

"Yes?"

"Well, he won't die. That idiot is too consumed with power and his return to Las Noches to be killed off here. He'll survive, and we'll both get back to the surface world soon!" the orange-head said with unparalleled resolve. "Now! Let's go face this trial together!"

"Keep your wits about you!"

Taking a glance up to look out one of the high windows in the palace hallway, Ichigo marveled at the sunlight coming in through the miles of water.  _"I leave Mizumi and the king to you, Grimm."_

* * *

"You're mean!" Mizumi snapped as she walked on ahead of Grimmjow.

"And you're annoying!" Grimmjow snapped back, his hand stuffed angrily in his pocket under his cloak. It was his best choice of action to prevent himself from ringing this child's little scaly neck.

The two of them exited the palace, where Grimmjow promptly removed any face painting from earlier. It was embarrassing to have to hide his proud Espada features behind the façade of another race.

Mizumi descended the steps that led all the way down to the beach, then went on without looking over her shoulder. Sir Troban was gone. This meant her father was probably gone, too. "No…"

"Hey, why can't that other whale friend of yours fight against the evil one?" Grimmjow asked, now that he was on the beach, as he shed his cloak on the sand below him.

"He won't because… he told me they're brothers."

"Wh- So what?"

"Would you fight your brother?"

"If I had one and if he stood in my way, then yes."

"You don't have one, so you don't understand. Something so precious is… irreplaceable. You'd never raise your hand against someone you wouldn't want to lose. They grew up together. They have a bond that can't be broken by this darkness that's enveloped Sir Troban."

"Idiotic idealism." Grimmjow scoffed.

"Do you hold nothing close to your heart?" Mizumi asked seriously. "If you had something you loved, maybe I could see your perspective as serious. But…"

"I hold something close to my heart."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah, and its waiting for me on the surface!"

Mizumi shook her head dismissively. Whatever this thing was Grimmjow wanted, she was sure he'd never get it. "Let's go." She said as she quickly ran her hand over his arm.

Grimmjow jumped, shocked from the quickness of the girl's action. The coating spread across his body much quicker than it had for Ichigo.

"Someday, you may understand what I mean. Someday.  _Maybe_." Mizumi said as she hurried up to the water above.

Grimmjow did not particularly like being talked down to, but to reach his goals, he would bear it. For now.

Deep inside him, something told him to stay put, to not go into the water. But something else was telling him to go forward at the same time. Maybe he wanted to face his fear and conquer it, proving his strength to himself, if no one else. And… he also didn't want to let Kurosaki down after that "I believe in you" jazz he spouted... Too much was riding on the success of this operation. And it's not like he'd ever backed down from a challenge before.

"Everything happens once in a lifetime!" he shouted as he used a Sonído to shoot himself into the waters above.

* * *

Ichigo pushed the heavy doors out of his way and walked into the throne room of the palace. There, he saw Maelstro not sitting on the throne, but instead standing at one of the tall, stained windows, staring up at the water above.

"I knew you would come, human. Did you think I didn't know you were here?" The Oceanian said without turning his attention away from what had caught it in the window.

"Well that makes it easy for me, huh? Hope you're ready for this." Ichigo said as he threw his cloak to the floor. Interestingly enough, around the same time that Grimmjow had removed his disguise, he'd done the same. "Hope none of your guards interfere. I can't guarantee their safety if they get in my way."

Zangetsu was in-hand now. With a single strike to the unarmed king, he could put an end to this conflict.

"They're swimming to their deaths, you know."

"…!" Ichigo hurried over to the window closest to him and his eyes went wide as he saw two figures swimming about in the waters above. "How so?!"

"He won't approach from above, as they seem to be expecting."

Horror-struck, Ichigo watched as the horned figure slowly made its way up from the ocean depths to swim after Grimmjow and Mizumi. "Look out!" he cried, banging his hand on the glass helplessly.

"You can tell them that in just a few moments when the three of you perish!" Maelstro said from right behind his intruder.

* * *

His cat-like reflexes kicking in, Grimmjow turned around quickly in the water. He saw the vile beast swimming his way, however, it was slow. He could defeat it easily with his sword no matter the size. "You're coming right to your death." He said.

Mizumi heard him and turned around, "Aiiieee! When did he get here?!"

"Take this!" Grimmjow roared, swimming at the creature with his sword pointed at it.

His electric eyes went wide when the creature stopped moving and opened its mouth.

"Ah!" Mizumi swam down quickly to try getting the piece of cloth delicately hanging on to one of Sir Troban's teeth to verify it as her father's, but a whirlpool from Sir Troban's mouth took her by surprise.

Effortlessly, she and Grimmjow were both swallowed into the darkness, their plans crushed in one fell gulp.

* * *

"Ack!" Ichigo cried out as water pierced through his thigh, having come at him from all the way across the throne room. It turned to ice and he fell over onto the ground, gripping his leg tightly. "AAAH GOD!"

"Don't underestimate my power. Your attacks are little more than child's play compared to what Oceanians can generate."

Ichigo closed his eyes tight, against his better judgment, and wondered what it was he should do. There was no way he had enough Reiatsu for  _that_. But still, he couldn't lose here! If he did, he'd never get to see anyone again. His kingdom, his friends, his family, Grimmjow… They were all too precious and he had no desire to die full of regrets!

Maelstro started towards the trembling youth who was gripping his leg desperately. When he reached him, he stood over him with his Seasword pointed down at Ichigo's head. "You thought you could come in here and solve the problems of the princess, never realizing that she herself was just a plague upon my reign. Now that she's dead, I'll have no one who can stand between me and absolute-"

"Shut UUUUUUUP!" Ichigo exclaimed as a wing of pure energy shot out from his back and slammed Maelstro to the ground.

The force from the contact was so powerful that Maelstro spit out blood and cried out. "Y—you insolent!"

Both of them were lying on the ground and in pain that had been inflicted by the other.

"I don't  _*huff*_  give a shit about any of your selfish plans!" Ichigo said as he pushed himself off the floor with his arm. "I can't let a tyrant like you… keep doing whatever you want!"

"Release me from this hold and we'll settle this like men!"

"Nah, nah…" Ichigo shook his head and kept his wing in place, "You don't want to settle this that way. You intend to fight dirty with your underhanded tricks." Zangetsu was all the way across the room, knocked from his hand at the start of the fight. He couldn't keep Maelstro pinned like this forever, as his Reiatsu was quickly draining due to the use of his Skifenian power, but he couldn't finish him off with no sword, either. This was quite a predicament.

His auburn eyes landed on the sword that Maelstro intended to kill him with, stuck under his wing with tiny shards of ice spiking out from it. Leaning forward, he picked it up and looked it over. It was beautiful. Water in sword form and so lethal… However, he noticed something strange about it and Maelstro respectively…

With both hands, he lifted it above his head, aiming it at Maelstro's back. The cowering man beneath his wing needed punishment… however… Ichigo was not the person to kill someone so heartlessly. Even after all he'd done to Mizumi…

"Kill or be killed!" Maelstro yelled and coughed suddenly, looking up at his own sword turned against him. "I will not stop until you lie dead at my feet! This hold is weakening, and once the wing disappears, I'll finish you and mount your head on a pike!"

Ichigo glared, "Are you telling me you want no future!? That you'll only be satisfied in death!?"

"Precisely! I grew up where death was common, unlike Oki who grew up sheltered in the palace! I accepted it as my fate and decided my actions would lead me to it someday! So if not today, then you'll be the only one meeting your end while I continue down my path to unbridled magnificence!"

"…" Ichigo closed his eyes, sighed in disdain, and let the icy sword fall from his hands.

* * *

At the same time…

"Daddy!" Mizumi cried as she saw the king lying bruised and near dismembered inside the belly of Sir Troban.

Grimmjow sat quietly and watched as the princess hurried over to the king, throwing her arms around him tightly and crying like a newborn baby. This king had nurtured a future heir that seemed so utterly dependent on him… He didn't consider the fact that she was just a young child.

Still, he couldn't help but question if this was the typical relationship between parent and child. As he'd never known his parents, he could not relate. But the thought of having someone needing him came about as a fresh and new thought he'd never considered before. It wasn't like he wanted it to be that way, but just knowing that someone cared about your safety was…  _different_  from living life alone.

_If_  he were to try relating to the two before him, he would easily say that Pantera was the one who came to him the way this girl went to her father.

That day in the desert will undoubtedly live in his heart for the rest of his time in this life.

"Daddy! Speak to me! Tell me you're alive!"

"Mizu…mi."

"Haaah!" the girl gasped. "Dad, we need to take you home!"

The king opened his eyes and they glowed over as tears threatened to spill, "Mizumi… my dear child. You've been okay in my absence…?"

"Mhmm!" she cried, tears spilling over.

"I'm so… glad to hear that…"

"Can you get up?!"

"Yes… with the little energy I could recover without… it being stolen… I've been healing my wounds… It's been this way ever since I woke up in here a few weeks ago. Troban probably doesn't even know he's stealing my energy. I meant to heal myself back to health and then… get out of his belly… but that's been rather difficult."

"What happened?! Why are you so wounded?"

"Maelstro attacked me on a trip near the surface that he wanted me to join him for… He and I were friends as children, so I never expected him to turn on me like that. What power can do to a person…"

Grimmjow rolled his eyes. He was different from that power hungry, usurping freakshow. His desire for power was simply because he didn't want people to look down on him as they did in the past.

"I'll help you!" Mizumi said as she placed her hands on the tears on her father's arms and began healing them.

"Who is that man?" Oki asked, referring to Grimmjow.

"He's helping us take the kingdom back!"

"I see…"

"I'm almost done!" Mizumi said. Seeing her father lying in such a condition was too much for her tiny shoulders to bear, but knew she couldn't look away. She could change the fate of the kingdom with her own hands, here and now. It was not the time to let emotions defer her goal.

"I'll cut our way out of here!" Grimmjow said as he stood and drew his sword.

"No!" King Oki shouted, "Don't kill this creature. He was once an ally of mine." Mizumi helped her father sit up when he tried. "Troban was infected with something he received from a surface world dweller. But he is still alive! And he alone saved me, fooling Maelstro into thinking I'd been killed and eaten. I owe him my life. So please…"

Grimmjow sheathed his sword and clenched his fist, "Then how do we get out of here!? I didn't intend to be an overgrown fish's lunch!"

"You don't talk to us that way!" Mizumi snipped. "Daddy, we have to hurry and do something! Ichigo is fighting for us!"

"Ichigo?" the king echoed curiously.

"He's friends with that guy over there. They're helping us take our kingdom back!"

"…Help from Earthians. I never imagined I'd live to see this day."

"Can you get us out of here?" Mizumi asked, unsure of what other way her father may have known of that didn't include tearing Sir Troban to pieces.

Oki nodded and stood up, spreading his legs and getting into a power stance. "I can." He told his daughter.

* * *

With the Seasword lying on the ground, Ichigo stood over Maelstro and contemplated how he could win this farce.

"I can feel the weight lifting!" Maelstro said with a grin. "I'm itching to freeze ever inch of that body of yours over! You realize your death will come because you stood in my way!"

As his Reiatsu left him, Ichigo fell onto his knees. Unwilling to die so easily, he slapped the sword out of the way and held Maelstro down with his own hands and body weight as his wing dispersed.

"Die you fool!" the Oceanian said as ice crept up Ichigo's hands and legs.

"Even if you freeze me, I won't die here!" Ichigo roared as the stinging ice crawled up his limbs intricately.

The next thing Ichigo knew, he heard the sound of a wall breaking and felt a hand touch his shoulder gently.

"That's enough, soldier. You've done well."

Maelstro's eyes couldn't have gone wider at the sight of the person standing over them. "O—Oki!"

"I've countered your ice with my own, Maelstro. You can't freeze this child anymore." Oki said as he not only did that, but let his ice run Maelstro's body over, freezing him solid but leaving his head untouched.

"I apologize for my daughter's having pulled you into this mess." Oki said as he picked Ichigo up bridal style and carried him to the door.

"Ichigo!" Mizumi shouted as she ran into the room. "Daddy left us in the courtyard and came here without us!"

Grimmjow came in next and he literally stopped dead in his tracks as he saw Ichigo in the arms of the king.

As he was put on the floor and his wound treated, Ichigo looked at the three questionably. "How did you guys-"

"Daddy used the water around Troban to control him! I never knew he was that strong!" Mizumi said with starstruck admiration.

Ichigo looked at the king for a moment. He looked quite powerful to say the least. He had a large, bulky frame that resembled the other Oceanians', but something about him was different. His hair was short, shorter than his own. His smile was the smile of a leader, bright, trusting, and handsome as well… If Ichigo wasn't of a different species…

"Kurosaki."

"Grimmjow, you faced your fear?!" It was that easy for him to be drawn back into the world that was his and his Arrancar's.

"Don't tell me you needed saving again." Grimmjow said accusingly.

"It was quite the opposite." The king interjected, "That's a sharp mind you have there, orange-haired human."

"Huh?" Mizumi said.

"This boy was willing to stop Maelstro from winning at any cost. Look." Oki continued, pointing to the trail of ice leading to the sword Maelstro had formed. "Had he frozen this human, Maelstro himself would have frozen as well." Looking down, he shook his head at Maelstro, "You were so eager to win that you lost sight of your surroundings. Didn't we learn better than that as children?"

"You lost to me because that's what you did!" Maelstro returned angrily.

"No, I lost because I trusted you as a comrade and you stabbed me in the back."

"Rgh!" Maelstro squinted up at Ichigo, "How could you have known!?"

Ichigo looked rather calm as he replied, "I noticed how your power and your sword acted separately from each other when we were fighting. Your sword seems to act of its own volition. I saw that when you were trapped under my wing and it was still producing ice, so I reacted on a chance. That chance being that when you activated your ice to freeze me, it would eventually join with your sword and we'd both be frozen together."

"Then… you were expecting to die as well!?"

"I told you, didn't I? I wouldn't die even if I were frozen over." Ichigo said, and then pointed at Grimmjow, "I had faith in him. I knew he would bring the king back, and then I would be unfrozen. But still, even if the king or Mizumi couldn't do undo your attack, I knew Grimmjow would keep going on to find Inoue and she could unfreeze me. When you have comrades, you can take big risks like that."

Maelstro's anger boiled over, "I can't believe this! Simply can't believe it! Outwitted by a human brat!"

"Believe it, jerk!" Mizumi said, "Daddy, what are you going to do with him?"

Looking around at the destroyed throne room, then at the troopers who caused his return, Oki sighed, "I don't know. There's a lot going on and I'm just returning… The kingdom is probably in shambles, knowing  _this_  one." He said, looking directly at Maelstro, "The palace is a wreck, my soldiers' loyalty will need to be returned to my side, and then there's still the matter of what to do with Troban…"

A silence filled the room as everyone let the chaotic situation sink in. There were many actions to take, moving forward, but with time and good effort, things could be righted again. Oceania would recover without a doubt.

* * *

"Well…" Mizumi breathed out in relief as she looked up at the water from the sandy plains she knew as the beach, "I guess you'll want to get going now, huh?"

"Why are you talking like we can just  _go_ so easily? How would we even get back to the surface?" Ichigo asked as he looked at the princess.

Grimmjow stood silently behind them, watching as Ichigo and Mizumi talked under the sunlight once more.

"We've already arranged for your safe arrival on land."

Raising an eyebrow, Ichigo questioned that, "Really? How?"

"Just go with the flow is all I can say. And…" pulling out the necklace she'd been keeping hidden from everyone, Mizumi stared down at it briefly before she handed it to Ichigo, "This necklace is important to me. I know you wanted it for your trip… so take care of it, okay?"

" _You_  had the crystal all along?!"

Grimmjow was just as shocked as Ichigo was and watched as it was given to him from a smiling young princess.

"That's right. And I'm giving you permission to take it. Temporarily, of course. It will come back to me when you're done, so I've heard. If it doesn't though, you better bring it back to me and put it in my hands!"

"Mizumi-"

"Thank you both for all of your help. Daddy's already hard at work putting our kingdom in order, but he did tell me to say he's grateful to you both. It's all thanks to you that we got through that mess."

"He thanked us already at least a dozen times before we left." Ichigo sweatdropped, "We get that he's thankful."

Mizumi held her hands behind her back and looked up, "You don't realize how thankful... You saved an entire race. Be proud! I hate that we had to depend on you Earthians, but I guess you're not  _so_  bad. Come see us again someday, yeah? Maybe we can go play with the jellies together again!"

"Why are you talking like that?"

"'Cuz your ride's here."

"Huh—GYAAAAAAH!" Ichigo shouted in surprise and fear as Sir Juban came down through the forcefield with his mouth open wide to collect him and Grimmjow.

"Take care! And remember to go with the flow wherever you go!" Mizumi said with a bright warm smile as Sir Juban started the long swim to the surface with his cargo. Placing her hand on her chest, she felt the strong thumping. "If you come back here one day, Ichigo, I'm going to marry you. The orange-haired man who, along with his testy friend, saved our people… and stole my heart."

She hid her feelings well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize that this chappie was a bit choppy. It just wound up being that way since there was quite a lot I wanted to get out in this one. This trial has been longer than I wanted it to be xD
> 
> Also, the next chapter may not come for the next two weeks or so.


	51. lost mothers, dried tears

As calm waves came into contact with the sand and swiftly said goodbye to the shore under the sun's bright radiance, one particular island in which this gorgeous natural occurrence happened found itself graced with the arrival of an unconscious, weary traveler.

With his cheek pressed up against the wet, warm sand, Ichigo's eyes opened just a bit, letting in the light of the day. He closed them quickly and felt the gentle waves running his lower body over numerous times. The sight of a strange smiling girl's hand coming up over her chest surrounded by pure blue waters was vague in his mind.

"Mizumi!" he said, getting up on his arms quickly and looking around the beach for her.

But no matter how hard he looked, he knew he would not see her again. At least, not for a very long time…

After pushing himself up on his feet, he looked around the vast beach. Under the vast blue sky, before the great tropical forest ahead, and standing in the sand that's color rivaled the sun's golden glow, he calmed himself and tried putting things into perspective. Zangetsu was still faithfully rested at his side under his waistband. The crystals seemed perfectly in place in the bag Akako had given him in Homura. His Reiatsu was still present and recovering normally.

The only thing missing… was Grimmjow.

"Grimmjow!" he called with his hand up beside his mouth so his voice would echo loudly, ardently looking around the beach for the Arrancar. Surely he was here too. They came back up together, didn't they?

Deciding this was not the time to be wasting time, he took to sprinting down the beach, looking avidly for his Arrancar companion.

Eventually he got to where he could see further into the island's massive forest. The vegetation flourished for miles towards a high hill that seemed to be a central point in the island.

To his surprise, a burst of flames shot up from the western side of the island. Ichigo wasted no time in heading there, as he knew Grimmjow could very well be at the center of whatever was going on. He had a knack for getting involved in farces, after all.

As he hurried through the sand, wind blowing a bit viciously against him, he noticed a light shining briefly in the spot where the flames had come from, then saw it fade.

"What the heck going on…?" he asked himself as he fearlessly headed into the forest.

* * *

"Hey, what was that?!" Kon asked tensely as he held on to Pantera's tail while the panther led the way through the tropical forest.

"It sounds dangerous." Nelliel answered in the beast's stead. She'd been walking the forest path instead of riding Pantera. For some reason, she felt the need to be on her own two feet lately.

"I don't know." Pantera finally told Kon, and then started walking away from whatever it was that had just happened.

Nel followed him for a moment before speaking again, "Hey, maybe we should go there." She said.

Pantera looked over his shoulder at her, and Kon's button eyes somehow managed to become filled with horror as he did the same. A brief silence came about between the three as they stood under the trees looking at each other expectantly—no one knowing who would speak next or make the first move. Nel, unwilling to just ignore the sounds of danger she'd heard, started walking again in the direction they came from. Kon made to follow her, but a flame ripped its way through the forest and nearly singed him.  _Nearly_. He'd managed to duck and cover his head at the last second, avoiding total annihilation.

"Hey! Just what the hell is going on?!" he shouted angrily as he sat up and looked around. "Eh?! WHERE DID YOU GUYS GO?!"

Both Nel and Pantera were gone from his sight now. He didn't know if they'd been captured by something, burned alive, or had just hurried off towards the danger, and that not knowing what happened to them frightened him. Trapped alone on this peninsular island that seemed otherwise unpopulated by humans… Not to mention whatever dangers could arise from the beasts that lived here…

"R—RUKIAAAAAA! WHERE ARE YOU!? SAVE ME, PLEEEAAASE!" he cried up to the sky, giving up all hope.

* * *

The second Ichigo got into the forest in the vicinity of where the explosions were coming from, he caught sight of something that reminded him of the huge phoenix he'd seen on Sogyoku Hill that one time he had to save Rukia from execution. Though, that entire ordeal was behind him now…

A bird enveloped in flames flew about the sky, and it seemed to be searching avidly for something.

It caught sight of him and wasted no time in charging at him at a velocity of immeasurable caliber. The only thing Ichigo could do was jump for cover in the bushes.

The creature landed on the ground with an echoing 'boom' and looked around again. Ichigo watched it carefully from the shadows, unseen, and again reminded of how much sneaking around he'd been doing lately. The strange avian was searching for something.

When he heard something coming out from the opposite end of the forest, his brown eyes widened. Something shot a wave of cherry blossom blades at the giant bird. They tore through the air and ripped through its wing and the front of its abdomen.

Fire quickly enveloped the wounds, but the bird still fell over onto the ground helplessly.

It was a phoenix for sure.

"Who is that?" he mumbled as he watched a golden-flower-shaped-masked person, clad in old Japanese armor with a long, brown ponytail approach the bird and raised their hand. The cherry blossoms that followed this person's command gave him away as Senbonzakura Kageyoshi, the Zanpakutō spirit that belonged to Kuchiki Byakuya's Zanpakutō.

Well, Ichigo wasn't going to just sit back and watch as a phoenix was killed right before his eyes. It was his time to act!

Quickly, he unsheathed Zangetsu and jumped out of the bushes, startling both battle participants.

"Don't do it!" he ordered.

"Do  _not_  interfere!" The spirit replied just as domineeringly.

Raising Zangetsu in the air, Ichigo coated it with the Getsuga Tensho aura and swung it at Senbonzakura angrily. "What has this phoenix done to deserve death?!" he asked as he kept firing crescent waves.

"I told you not to interfere." Senbonzakura said as he dodged each one and then finally countered with a wave of cherry blossom blades.

The phoenix fired flames from its wings, stopping Senbonzakura's attack and allowing Ichigo a minor second to hurry over to it.

"What's he trying to kill you for?!"

The majestic but tattered creature pointed its sharp beak over to an old tree that stood out a little from the rest of the forest. Something was in the branches, but cleverly hidden away from plain sight. Had he not been shown where to look, Ichigo never would have seen it.

Senbonzakura held his sword out, instinctively catching the orange-head's attention. "N—no!" Ichigo shouted.

The spirit released his sword and it made its way into the ground, creating pink ripples in its wake.

Turning, Ichigo looked up to the phoenix, who held tears in its proud eyes. "STOP! DON'T KILL IT!"

As the blades rose from the ground, Ichigo gripped Zangetsu and prepared to defend. However, he felt something pinch the back of his neck, knocking him out slowly. As the world turned black, he saw it spinning as if he'd been thrown. The last thing he saw was the phoenix closing its eyes and the pink petals engulfing it.

" _No…"_  he thought, his hand outstretched to it.

And then, everything was dark…

* * *

"Hey, c'mon you guys! This isn't funny anymore!" Kon said as he ran through the forest, climbing the path that led closer to the center of the island. "Where'd you disappear to?!"

Compared to being trapped and all alone in this horrid tropical forest, life back at the clinic didn't seem so terrible anymore. And somewhere deep in his cotton-stuffed chest, Kon was shocked to realize that he'd prefer the incessant, overbearing loving words and embraces of Kurosaki Yuzu.

"Someone save meeeee! Rukia! Nel! Ichigo!" he hollered, then began sniffling, "Huuuuunh! Yuzuuuuu!" he cried as he continued running and looking in every which direction for any sign of danger.

* * *

Elsewhere, on a different island in the archipelago.

"More arrivals, you say?" a young woman asked a bit excitedly as she stood on the beach outside her nimble abode.

"That's right. There appear to be at least four of them, scattered about the islands. I tried eliminating one of them when he stood against me, but he slipped out from under my nose by way of that nuisance of a phoenix. He seems powerful, though." Senbonzakura admitted as he watched the ocean waves ebb and flow calmly, standing at a distance from his… associate.

"Well, you do as you will. I can't stop you. Besides, we're in this together." the girl replied as she felt her brunette hair blowing in the wind. "I am curious, though…"

The taller of the two turned, "About?"

"That phoenix. Did you manage to stop it from nesting here?" she asked. A silence fell between them for a bit, allowing the sounds of the wilds to overtake the mood. Waves pushed up against the beach, bathing the sand effortlessly, birds chirped about in the trees, and the wind danced gently among the expansive trees.

Finally, Senbonzakura replied, "I did. It is sealed away now, never to threaten the islands with its flames again."

"That's good. I hate to treat such a majestic creature in such a horrid way, but we have a duty to fulfill and letting the temple's island burn to ashes is  _not_  a part of that duty. And… Also… If one of those newcomers saw it, I wonder if we should get rid of them…"

"That graceless boy will kill himself. His future is not to be decided by my blade. You may give it a chance if you wish, but his fate seems set already. That is what the falling cherry blossoms have said unto me."

"Well," the girl began, "I don't think he'll be leaving this island, anyway. If his fate, as you say, is to kill himself, then that's precisely what he's done in coming here. After all, without the crystal, who would ever want to leave this heaven on earth?"

Senbonzakura turned and started on his way down the beach. "The end of the world is coming for you, black sword wielder." He said, letting his words carry on in an ephemeral dance with the wind.

* * *

"Ah… my freakin' head…" Ichigo complained as he pushed himself off the grassy ground in the bushes. Reaching up, he rubbed the side his head consolingly. He felt like he'd slammed into something. It was probably one of the trees in the area. There were so many of them…

Instinctively, he grabbed up Zangetsu, who had been knocked from his hand somehow, and placed the sword in its rightful place under his waistband.

After getting up on his feet, he looked around and got his bearings. A dirt path was just ahead, so that is where he went. The moment he got to it, he noticed a large portion of the path was scorched. "Did that phoenix… actually die?" he wondered out loud.

In all the legends he'd ever heard, phoenixes were not supposed to die. The only way to actually kill one was to seal it in parts…

Ichigo looked around for it for a moment before looking back at the black-scarred ground. The mark seemed to be pointing in a direction, he noticed when he looked closely. Following that direction, he found himself under a large tree that had many vines and flowers hanging from its massive branches. Well, he was certainly interested in climbing it.

Taking hold of one, he jumped off the ground and climbed. The journey up was a tiresome one, and he began wondering what life would be like without Reiatsu. Living as a normal civilian…

*hissss* *hisssss*

"O—oh no! Someone please help me! Mother! Mother where are you?!" a very young and terrified voice called from above.

Ichigo looked up and froze.

Was there someone in that bird's nest?

The sound of hissing continued, and suddenly something bright fell from the nest. Ichigo quickly jumped off the branch and caught it in his arms, landing on the ground a bit ungracefully given all the wounds he'd sustained lately.

After opening his arms, he was shocked to see a baby bird that was lit with yellow and almost unnoticeable light green flames in certain areas of its body, particularly its wings. It had the cutest eyes that, surprisingly, were more human-like than bird-like.

Since he was looking so intently at it, he noticed that it had been crying.

"It's okay now. I'll take you someplace safe."

And with that, Ichigo hurried on his way before the snake in the tree could slither its way down to catch him.

…

Almost too pitiful for words, Ichigo wondered what he would do with this bird when he placed it on the ground and it fell forward. It was so young it couldn't even walk!

"Please help me find my mother." It said, tears in its eyes that threatened to run over at a moment's notice.

"Your mother…?" the orange-head echoed. "I… I think she's… Hey, what's your name?"

"I don't have one." The bird replied as it started taking its first steps and flapped its wings to try flying.

"You're just a baby… Well… I can't just leave you alone…" Ichigo folded his arms and contemplated what he should do. Adding another to the journey wouldn't hurt, would it? "I'm going to give you a name." he spoke again after some time.

"…"

"I think I'll call you… Chile." He said with a smile.

"Chile?"

"Yeah. Since I don't know if you're a male or female, the name can go either-"

"I'm a boy!" Chile shouted, then fell forward on his face.

"Well, I still like the name for you."

"…Where's my mother?"

"I'm really sorry to say this… I am… but she's… not around anymore… It's hard to believe, given that she was a phoenix…"

Chile's eyes immediately watered and he closed them, letting his tears spill over, running down his fire-feathered face. He didn't even try to pick himself up off the ground, either. Instead, he just laid there, crying his tiny heart out.

Ichigo stood over him, not knowing what to do. Chile was a baby. A baby who had just lost his mother. A  _baby_ —the point in a life when a mother is needed the absolute most. He was undeniably reminded of himself and his little sisters. The day he saw his mother die, the realization that he'd never see her beautiful smile again, and the pain of having to go on without her there to make everything okay… His soul resonated with this creature's, as strongly as the sun was bright. And that's why he sat down and took the phoenix into his arms, petting it consolingly. "It'll be okay. You're not alone. I'm taking you with me." He said warmly.

Chile buried his face in Ichigo's stomach, letting out all his fears, pain, and grief. "Mother…" he sobbed.

"I lost my mother as a child, too. We can relate to each other that way. You and I… we'll stick together, alright? From now on. We'll live together and be like brothers."

"M—mhmm!"

Ichigo sighed in relief, glad that he managed to sway this child from the pain of losing a parent, even if only a little.

After a while, Chile stopped crying little by little and fell asleep in the warm embrace of his new friend. Ichigo wondered just why it was that his clothes hadn't been burned from the tiny flames, but dismissed it with a smile, feeling nothing but glad that he'd saved a life today.

"I—Ichigo?!"

Said man whipped around and his jaw dropped when he saw Nel standing at the bottom of the hill that led to the beach. With the sparse remains of the green forest leading to the light golden sand, and the sparkling blue waters on the horizon behind her, she stood radiant under the sun's light—a symbol of the role she'd played in his life so far.

"Nel…" he said, feeling his heartbeat increasing at the sight of his friend.


	52. the change

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoy reading!

 

As he stalked his way across the open beach, making sure to steer clear of the waves washing up against the shore, Pantera kept his nose busy with tracking. He'd picked up a scent when he split off from the other two that he was pursuing. It was a powerful scent, unmistakable even amidst the salty ocean's smell, and it had led him to his current location. His cobalt eyes ran the beach over at least a dozen times as he searched for any sign of what it was he sought.

He was about to give up on the area and continue further down the beach until he saw something protruding from the sand a little. It was something sleek and white, starkly different from the random earth-toned pieces of driftwood and seaweed strewn about.

With the swiftness of a lightning bolt, he dashed over to the object and realized it was the end of a sword's sheathe. One he recognized immediately. He laid his paw down on the wet sand, and, once he felt the aura he'd been seeking for seemingly endless days with minimal rest, started digging away at sand.

When the dozens of grains were mostly out of the way, he saw him. Grimmjow—lying unconscious—unearthed by the very creature that had initially made him practically eat a mouthful of sand.

Taking the Arrancar's jacket in between his powerful teeth, Pantera pulled him out of his sandy trap, laid him down on the ground, and stared at him. He didn't appear to be hurt, only lacking any conscious train of thought. The relief Pantera felt at seeing his master lying on the sand, in an arguably peaceful slumber, had him feeling the same way he had when they first met. It had been  _such_  a long journey to him… Not to mention the fact that this was the first time in a long time that he'd seen Grimmjow when his life wasn't about to be taken away. Leaning forward, he started licking Grimmjow's cheek tenderly, prompting him to wake up. "Grimmjow, I've finally found you. Awaken from your slumber and tell me about your travels." He said to him.

Grimmjow's hand twitched, then slowly grabbed a handful of sand. His cerulean eyes began opening, the first thing they saw was the white-cloud-filled sky on the horizon. "Rgh…" he groaned, pushing at the person licking him, "Kurosaki, back off…" he mumbled and sat up.

Pantera moved back a bit, then sat down on his rear end and looked at Grimmjow calmly.

"Pan…tera…?" Grimmjow said once he realized who it really was who had woke him up.

"Hello again, Grimmjow. It's been a while."

"You're… here? Wait… just where the hell  _is_  here, anyway?" the man said as he looked through narrowed, curious eyes at the giant forest that engulfed the majority of the island.

"We are on an island." Pantera replied as he looked around it as well. "This island… where we finally found you…"

"…"

"Where is Ichigo? Wasn't he with you?"

Grimmjow looked around the immediate area halfheartedly, "I don't know. We were brought here together… was what I thought happened…"

"He seems to have done a good job protecting you."

The Arrancar's eyes flashed and a vein made itself visible on his forehead. "Tsk! As if!  _I've_  been the one saving  _his_  skin this whole time! Don't think for a second I need him to protect me!" The mere thought of relying on that Court Guard was… totally and completely embarrassing, if not emasculating.

"Grimmjow, what do you want to do from here?" Pantera asked, changing the subject slightly.

"What do you mean?"

"Where should we go, is what I'm saying… Your goal was to escape Seireitei the last time I saw you. Do you wish to return to Las Noches now that we've reunited? Or should we find another home? There's also the matter of Ichigo, who betrayed his kingdom for you. Should we include him in our future plans as well?"

Grimmjow picked up a handful of sand and let it sift through his fingers on its journey back to the ground. "We're gonna stick with Kurosaki for the time being. Of course, I have my own plans for the future that don't include him.  _But,_  he can get my arm regenerated for me by that big-titted friend of his… or so he says… So to regain the power that fucking shitbag Tousen stole from me, I'll follow him."

"If that's what you want, then I'll stick with you. And since you do want to stay with him, then we should find him, right?"

"Yeah… Let's get lookin' for him. I wouldn't be surprised if I needed to save him…"

Pantera grinned his panther grin as Grimmjow stood up and started walking down the beach, "You like playing the stronger of you two. I can see through that annoyed front of yours. And I'm starting to wonder if you might actually like having him around. Still… whatever the case, you're definitely not the man you were before you met him." He said, full of amusement.

"Be  _quiet_ …"

* * *

Ichigo found himself gasping desperately for air in the choke hold-like hug Nel was giving him. The second she saw him, she rushed over to him and grabbed him, saying how much she missed him and how tireless a journey searching for him had been.

After the initial stages of their happy reunion had concluded, the two decided to head to the beach—out of the woods where everything was shadowed and frankly unwelcoming.

Nel smiled as she walked to the water with her hands behind her back. "I can't believe we're together again! After all this time we spent searching…" she said as she let the waves wash up on her feet and exceptionally feminine legs. "It's just so great to see you again!"

"Yeah." Ichigo said as he kept his new companion in his arms. "It really has been a long trip so far… With Grimmjow being my only travel buddy, it's been… difficult… By the way, I'm sorry we couldn't wait for you or turn back. It just made more sense to finish our journey as quickly as possible instead of sucking anyone else into it." Little did he know that's exactly what he'd done. And that included more than just Nel, Pantera, and Kon…

"Journey?" Nel asked as she walked over to Ichigo, leaving the sparkling water behind her. "What journey?"

Ichigo sighed and took a seat on the sandy ground, "It's… well…"

"C'mon, don't do that. Tell me!" Nel ordered as she sat down as well.

"Well, I wanted to go to the High Palace to bring Inoue back into the kingdom. She's a good friend of mine and I don't think it's fair that she be uprooted from Seireitei to suit the desires of the higher-ups. She has a life in Seireitei, and friends. I couldn't just ignore what happened. My leaving Seireitei wasn't just for Grimmjow's sake."

"Oh, so, do you like Inoue? I met her once before when I brought your wounded friends to her. She's pretty and very nice. The kinda gal ya take home to mama." Nel said with a wink.

A slight red tint formed on Ichigo's tan cheeks, "N—no! I… I mean, she means a lot to me, and… while it's true, I did originally imagine her as the person I'd probably spend my life with, given that she's a close friend and someone I do enjoy spending time with, I just-"

"You don't have to explain yourself to me, Ichigo. I already know that you want Grimmjow, don't you?"

"Ugh! Not at all!" Ichigo denied emptily whilst thoroughly embarrassed. Sure, he could admit it to himself, but the thought of saying it to someone else was a bit… strange to him, for lack of a better term.

"To go from such a selfless princess to a rouge-ish warrior… That's quite a change."

"I said I don't want him! Are you even listening to what I say!?"

"Oh come on now. I've kinda been wondering about how things have been between you two. Talk to  _me_." Nel insisted as if she was the only person Ichigo could entrust his secret to. Essentially, she could use this sincerity drizzled with a slight hint of maternal care on practically any man to get them to open up to her. She had learned how to use her femininity to her advantage a long time ago. And it worked. Ichigo seemed to drop his guard entirely and even the embarrassment he initially showed.

"I…" Ichigo blushed, sighed deeply, and looked everywhere but at his inquisitive friend, "I  _do_  like him. Well, no… I… I'd definitely say I have stronger feelings for him than just that. He means a lot to me, he does. And I don't want to spend the rest of my life without him. But… it's just feelings. They'll eventually go away after he leaves me. I know they will." The orange-head admitted, his eyelids half-closed from the pain that the knowledge of Grimmjow eventually leaving him brought.

"Wow. That's a… uhm… surprisingly glum outlook. And it's not like you to give up or just expect something to go away. I can tell just by the short amount of time we've spent together that you're a fighter—someone who grabs their desires with their bare hands and never lets go."

"…"

"You've been dealing with these feelings on your own for a long time now, haven't you?" Ichigo nodded in response. Nel shook her head disapprovingly, "And I can't imagine Grimmjow is making it any easier on you. He's such a royal pain, no pun intended." Ichigo still looked a bit depressed, to which Nel tried remedying. "Have you told him how you feel?" she asked.

"I almost did a few times… But no, I haven't told him. I mean, how could I? He'd just turn me down, or laugh in my face…"

"Ichigo, listen to me…" Nel began demandingly as she looked out to the horizon. As her lips moved and her words came out, waves crashed against the island and the wind blew a gentle touch. Ichigo said something in reply to her, to which she told him something that made his eyes slowly but surely change from solemn bleakness to something much more… hopeful. "Anyway, you do what you will. It's your love life to do with as you please. In the end, you'll live the way you feel is best, I guess." She finished.

"…"

"I guess it'll be interesting to see what happens between you two  _firsthand_."

"What? You're-"

"Yup! I'm joining you on this journey to see the king!"

"Nel, you don't have to come with us. We're not even halfway through it yet… It could take days! And on top of that, gathering the crystals to get into the High Palace has been fraught with danger so far… Not… that  _you'd_  care…" Ichigo said, trailing off as he recalled the times she'd fearlessly intervened in perilous situations to save both his and Grimmjow's hides. If one thing was for sure, it was that Nel was strong. Very strong. She'd have no trouble holding her own if she joined them. Instead of worrying so much about her safety, he started recalling what Grimmjow had said to him before. How he'd said Ichigo trusted her a lot even though he knew next to nothing about her. "Hey, can I ask you something?"

"Sure. I'm all ears."

"Why are you… so strong, Nel? You have an Espada number on your back, you have a Zanpakutō, you can deflect Ceros… just… who  _are_  you?"

"Oh! Well…" Nel almost blushed, "I guess  _I'm_  the one who's embarrassed now. After all this time of us knowing each other, I can't help but feel like I should have told you about myself more. You told me about yourself when we first met." She said, recalling the last time they sat together in peace. That night under the fire's warm glow and embraced by the gypsy music and talented displays would be a memory she would always keep.

"You okay?"

"Yeah… I'm… to put it simply, I'm a former Espada. I was once a princess of Las Noches."

"Wait.. What? Really?"

"That's right. However, I was betrayed by Nnoitra, the one who tried killing you and Grimmjow that day in the desert with the scorpion king. He stabbed me in the back, literally, and kicked me out of the kingdom. I had memory loss for the longest time and I wandered around barely surviving on what I could find to eat and drink, which is when I got picked up by the gypsies. Then, with their help I learned what it meant to live humbly. I didn't live for myself or for my own desires like I had in the palace. It was all about the tribe. And we went from town to town, cheering up the people and making them celebrate, even if only for a little while. Then, I wound up in Las Noches. I regained my memory, but…" Ichigo raised a curious eyebrow at her sudden pause. "I just… didn't want to go back to the life I'd left behind. Even if I didn't intentionally leave the kingdom, I found a new family. We genuinely cared for each other. It wasn't about maintaining social niceties, there was no constant threat of war between fellow Espada or kingdoms, and most of all… it wasn't lonely… They changed the way I lived, and also the way I felt about life and the world. And I'll always be grateful to them for that."

Ichigo stared at Nel, knowing exactly what she meant. No, it wasn't from his own experience. He was never a prince. He'd always simply been a foot soldier for Seireitei. However, the days and nights he spent with Grimmjow were where he understood her from.

 _Grimmjow_  was the one who was lonely.

It was in his blade, in his actions, and… looking back on it, it even existed in his sexcapades. When they fought for the first time, he could feel the Arrancar's desire for acknowledgement from someone. It was evident in those piercing eyes of his as well that that's what he desired. Leaving that big, nearly barren room each day and returning only when it was time for rest only further attested to that notion. And… the way he had sex gave his loneliness away, too. Instead of knowing how to pull someone in emotionally, or even understand what it meant when someone else tried to do that with him, Grimmjow simply disregarded it entirely. It showed that he just didn't know the proper way to fight his loneliness. Other things factored in, of course, like his belief that being with someone romantically and letting them become important was a flaw that could only weigh him down, but… even so, Ichigo knew the Arrancar wasn't completely incapable of doing that. And that was because… "Nel, are you still traveling with Pantera?"

"Oh, yes! He's here on the island somewhere, actually. I just had to ditch him for a bit to figure out what that noise was, which led me to you!"

"I see… Well, I want to thank you for telling me about yourself. It's good to know you a little more. And thank you for the talk. It made me wake up, even if it was only a little." He smiled at her genuinely. "We should find him, and Grimmjow as well, so we can leave this place and all go to Inoue together."

"Why is Grimmjow going? He has nothing to gain from—Oooh…"

"…"

"He wants his arm healed, huh?"

"Yeah. I told him I'd ask Inoue to do it for him. So we have a common goal that's kept us together all this time."

"That guy… he'll use anyone to get what he wants…"

"It was mutually beneficial for us to travel together, so it's okay."

"Do you think he'll leave you when you guys reach Inoue?"

Ichigo nodded, "I'm certain he will. He probably won't even thank me for helping him."

"That's sad… You've fallen in love with a complete sociopathic asshole, you know."

"Yeah…"

"Guess love does make people crazy…"

"I am  _not_  crazy!"

"Hehe, whatever you say!" Nel teased. She finally caught a glimpse of the lump in Ichigo's shirt near his stomach, and saw how he was cradling it, and her jaw dropped. "I—ICHIGOOOO!"

"WHAT?!" said man jumped, looking around for danger and ready to react.

"T—that! Are you—are you pregnant?!"

Ichigo looked down and noticed what she had noticed, "N—no… I-"

"Oh! My! Gosh! I knew it would come to-"

"This is a phoenix!" Ichigo shouted, and then unbuttoned his shirt and showed it to Nel.

The girl blinked at the mystic creature, sleeping soundly against Ichigo's stomach. "Oh… AAAAWWW! IT'S SOOOO CUUUUUTE!"

"SHHHH!"

"Oh! Right!"

"I saved the guy from being eaten, and his mother is no longer in the world of the living, so… I decided to take him with me."

"Ichigo, I think that's your spirit animal!" Nel declared with a big smile.

* * *

With his hand in his pocket and an annoyed look on his face as he walked through the forest, Grimmjow couldn't help but wonder where the hell it was that Ichigo had been sent to. They left the Oceanian kingdom together, so they should have arrived here together.

"Are you worried?" Pantera asked as he walked the forest trail with Grimmjow.

"No."

"Are you eager to see him again?"

"Shut up or I'll toss you into the ocean."

Pantera shook his head.  _"You've always been a stubborn man."_

* * *

"Spirit animal?"

Nel nodded, "Yeah! They're incredibly rare! Even I don't have one."

"…"

"It's so adorable. What's its name?"

"Chile. I named him."

"Chile?" Nel echoed with a look on her face as if she'd just smelled something foul.

"Yeah, I don't know why, but it seemed to suit the little guy."

Shaking her head, the gypsy girl patted Ichigo's shoulder, "When you have kids, please, don't name them without consulting me."

"What?! I'm not… having kids." Ichigo said. There's no way he would. If he wasn't going to be with any of his female friends, given that he already decided he wanted Grimmjow to be the person he'd spend his life with, then he  _couldn't_  have children. Biologically, males did not procreate with other males.

"Oh Ichigo… you still have a lot to learn about this strange and beautiful world of ours." Nel said as she looked up at the bright blue sky, "By the way, how's your Reiatsu? Still got a trace of Grimmjow's on you?"

"Yeah… My Zanpakutō spirit said it's a permanent adjustment, so I have to get used to it."

"Did he?"

"Yeah. But I've accepted that. I mean, I did physically scar Grimmjow in our battle in Seireitei. It's only fair that he do the same to me. And hey, we both have ways to hide our scars, so it's not all bad."

"You silly man. Heh, you can't help it. All men are silly…" she said whilst shaking her head, "In any case, you may be facing a few more difficulties with that Reiatsu of his in the future."

"Really? It's hardly an issue for me now…"

Nel offered no response and simply stood from the sandy ground, "Let's go see if we can find them on this island. I get the feeling we're not alone here, anyway."

"Oh! That's right!" Ichigo said as he stood up, still making sure to cradle Chile in his arms.

"What?"

"Kenjou-san asked me to find and save the people who've been going missing from his town!"

"I have no idea who that is. I take it you mean that town we passed through where everyone was talking about how an orange-haired guy and his blue-haired friend saved them?"

"Yes… I didn't realize they were all still talking about that after we left…"

"Hm, well, I guess it can't hurt to look. We're all gonna have to get back to the mainland soon." Nel said as she started walking the beach. "Let's walk the perimeter of this island until we find someone. Maybe we'll run into your lover."

"…Don't say that so loudly…" Ichigo blushed as he followed her.

* * *

"What is it you want to know?" Grimmjow asked as he and Pantera traversed the beach, his hand still resting idly in his pocket. This was quite the change of pace compared to all the shit he had to deal with during the past few days. Not that he minded a little action in the least…

"For starters," the panther began, "What are you doing so far away from the mainlands? You've strayed a long way from Las Noches."

"I'm going to get my arm healed."

"Where? Where does such a power exist?"

"At the palace of the High King."

The panther offered no further cautious inquiries about the restoration of Grimmjow's arm, as even he knew it was possible for such a feat to be done in the king's palace. However… "Grimmjow, after what's happened, do you really think it wise to go there of all places? You narrowly escaped execution in Seireitei-"

"For my rightful place on the throne," Grimmjow interrupted, "For that, I'll do anything. And I'll take on the king himself if I have to in order to get that girl to heal my arm."

Pantera let his gaze wander down to the ground as he continued walking. Grimmjow was an ambitious fellow—perhaps overly so. But he'd always known that. "I understand."

"And if it comes down to it, I've got someone I can use as a hostage to get me through the High Palace."

"You can't mean-"

"Hey, what are you two doing?!" someone's voice called, interrupting the two. A young woman wearing a very revealing, very vacation-esque outfit approached them cautiously. She would've been more open had she not seen a large menacing panther and a strange man, the latter of the two who was wearing a sword. "Where are you going?" Grimmjow practically ignored her and kept walking as if meaning to pass her by. "I said-"

"What's it to you?"

"Unexpected visitors are to report to the hotel to be signed in."

"Hotel?" Grimmjow said, his eyebrow rising up his forehead a bit in curiosity.

"Yes. You can't simply walk this island so freely without being registered." The woman replied as she pointed in the direction Grimmjow and Pantera were initially going. "It's that way. Keep straight along the beach and you won't miss it. You shouldn't linger here or you may find yourselves attacked."

"Not like I can't defend myself." Grimmjow almost snorted. He was starting to wonder if he gave the impression that he needed to be taken care of.

"From  _ocean_  waves…?" the girl asked disbelievingly.

"You said straight ahead, right?"

* * *

As luck, or lack thereof, would have it, while Grimmjow and Pantera skirted the island's beach going in one direction, Ichigo and Nel had gone the opposite way in their search for each other.

"Hey, Nel."

"Yeah?"

"Didn't you have Kon with you when you left Seireitei?"

"Oh! I  _did_ …" Nel trailed off guiltily.

"Did you lose him somewhere?"

"Yes, but he's here on the island somewhere!"

"Alright. Well, he'll probably come crying to me eventually." Ichigo dismissed as he saw a large white building come into sight.

This particular island was much more crescent-shaped than the others in the chain. A high mountain of forests cut deep into its center and rear, where a certain building was located, while closer to the beach and protected from the ocean currents by means of simple elevation was a very luxurious hotel that was great in terms of length, width, and height.

"What is that?!"

Nel caught sight of it as well and smiled eagerly. "FOOD! AND AN ACTUAL  _BED_!" she shouted as she hurried towards the place.

"H—HEY! Don't just run off on your own! We don't even have any money!" Ichigo said with his hand out as if he would grab her. He made to chase Nel, but movement in the bushes caught his attention.

"Don't eat the passion fruit..." A voice whispered from the forest, and then suddenly, the unidentified speaker tore their way through the bushes.

"Passion… fruit…?" he echoed in confusion. If he wasn't currently nursing a baby phoenix, he would have hurried after this advisor to make them elaborate. However, that was exactly his situation, not to mention he had a rambunctious gypsy girl to catch up to.

The one thing he was glad for was the sight of civilization. Perhaps the people operating the hotel could give him clues about the missing townsfolk from Kenjou's town. And maybe he could also find out where Grimmjow was.


	53. fragmented memory

"Oh come on, you can't tell me you're not hungry." Nel said to Ichigo as they both headed through the hotel. It was surprisingly luxurious, decorated with glittering chandeliers, incredibly clean, red carpet made its way up both the rows of stairs that hugged the wall and led up to the elevator, there was even a nice large television on the wall that broadcasted some of the news—mostly weather. There was no mention of Seireitei, though. That was probably a good thing. It seemed that Yamamoto hadn't decided to declare war just yet.

But  _if_  news about Grimmjow's interrupted execution did manage to spread this far out, it'd be a good idea to reunite with him soon.

"Yeah, I am hungry… But we don't have any money."

Nel stopped walking and immediately put her hands on her hips. "You mean to tell me you left Seireitei without  _any_  money?" Ichigo nodded with a small smile as if this was no huge issue, "How could you leave somewhere where money is the most important- No.. Never mind. I've survived without money for the longest time. I can make it here with no problem. But still… you sure seem to lose your rationality when Grimmjow is concerned."

Ichigo was taken aback hearing that. Grimmjow had said the same thing about Inoue to him a long time ago… He never expected to have it thrown in his face again like this. "Well, I care about him. Nothing matters but making sure he's okay sometimes."

"Don't you mean you love him?" Nel corrected.

"I told you to keep that quiet. Don't tell him or anyone else!"

"Yeah, yeah." The girl said dismissively, "Well, I've got an idea. You get us a room and meet me at that rather awesome bar over there while I go out and get us some food."

"Wait, what? Don't wander off again. At least wait until we find Grimmjow and Pantera."

"Excuse me." A man said from behind, interrupting Ichigo and Nel. Both of them whipped around and saw a man standing before them in a suit. His dark brown hair… or toupee… matched his thick mustache perfectly. His hands were together, almost expectantly, in front of him. Notably, he was a bit short, shorter than Nel by a few inches, but still seemed like a very sturdy man.

"Y—yes?" Nel replied.

"I couldn't help but hear that you two are in a… financial bind."

"Well, I wouldn't say-"

"I may have an eloquent solution for you." The man continued.

"… We're not interested in backhanded deals, sir." Ichigo interrupted.

"Backhanded deals…? Wahahaha!" he bellowed. Luckily there wasn't anyone else in the lobby, or he would've certainly made a scene.

Nel and Ichigo both raised eyebrows. "What's funny?" the taller of the two asked.

After the man quelled his laughter, he regained his stern yet inviting composure, "I have no interest in involving you two in anything shady. For Christ's sake it's not like anything like that even goes on here. I am the owner of this establishment, Matrid."

"Owner?"

"That's right. I normally kick freeloaders to the curb and tell them to go to one of the other islands, but, you both seem like capable individuals. And we are currently a bit shorthanded. How about you work here for me and you can stay free of charge? Seems fair, no?"

Nel sighed, "I guess that does sound like a decent deal. Do we get free access to food and that bar along with rooms?"

"I would think that goes without saying." The owner replied gingerly.

"Good! Well, where and when do we start!?"

The man reached out and took Nel and Ichigo's hands, "Here, here's the keys to your rooms." He said as he placed them in their palms, "Separate, of course. Workers should not be together in a romantic capacity. It's bad for business. And to answer your question, you'll be starting tomorrow. There'll be a list of things that need doing placed in your rooms via mailboxes. For now, familiarize yourselves with the hotel and let the concierge know if you have questions."

"Hey… You've got the wrong idea about me and her, by the way…" Ichigo mumbled.

"Take care now and have a good night. You'll need all the energy you can get for tomorrow." Matrid said as he departed with a smile.

Nel took Ichigo's hand and looked at his room number, "Your room's right next to mine! Or… across from mine!" she said almost too excitedly.

"Nel-"

"I'm going to get something to eat and then bathe… Or maybe eat  _while_  bathing! I might be a gypsy at heart, but even we sleep in beds and clean ourselves frequently. At least, that's what my group did."

"You're leaving me?" Ichigo said.

"Yes, for now. We'll see each other in a bit, though. It's not like we'll be apart for days like the last two times we split up." The girl said, flashing a peace sign with her hand as she left the orange-head standing in the lobby of the hotel.

Ichigo sighed and looked down at the lump under his shirt. For now, he decided he would leave Chile in his room. He was just a newborn, after all. He'd probably be sleeping for a while…

* * *

Once he had gotten to his room and went inside, he was surprised to see that it was just as luxurious as the lobby was. There were decorations, lavish furniture, and there were even separate rooms. He half-expected it to be a studio room.

After realizing he was spending too much time in his room, Ichigo went into the bedroom and gently took Chile out of his shirt to place him on the bed. His feathers weren't on fire like they were before, but he still wondered what would happen if the toddling bird woke up and found himself alone. The hotel might be burned to the ground…

"I guess I'll try to get back here before you wake up." He said with a smile, and then left Chile in the bedroom. "For now though, I just need to find Grimmjow." He said.

It occurred to him that the way to do that was simple and right under his nose the whole time. After clearing his mind and inhaling deeply, he closed his eyes and sent his Reiatsu out in all directions as far as he could. There were a lot of regular people he could feel, but the one person he wanted's Reiatsu was nowhere to be found. Grimmjow wasn't in the hotel.

Just as he was about to give up his search, a different Reiatsu caught his attention.

Pantera's Reiatsu!

The moment it registered to him, Ichigo left his room and made his way towards it. He was led to the sixth floor of the building. And, to his surprise, the energy was coming from room 632. Again, he tried looking for Grimmjow via Reiatsu sensing, hoping he'd just missed him. But nothing remotely similar to Grimmjow's heavy Reiatsu was anywhere to be found. It didn't help that he'd always been bad at this, on top of the fact that he could never send his energy out too far.

Eagerly, he reached out and knocked the door. After he did, he realized Pantera probably couldn't open it himself, as he had no opposable thumbs to do so, so he went ahead and opened it.

"Pantera?" he called as he stuck his head inside.

From the doorway, he could see the panther lying outside on the balcony, bathing in the afternoon sun. Those cobalt eyes opened and they made eye contact.

"It's been a while." Pantera said, lifting his head when Ichigo came out to the balcony.

"Yeah. I'm glad you and Nel made it back to us in one piece."

"Are you here for me? Or is it Grimmjow you want?"

"Well… I was looking for Grimmjow, but found you instead. So…"

Pantera closed his eyes, to Ichigo's surprise given the panther was usually quite alert and on-guard, and got comfortable on the floor again. "He went down to the beach for a while. I'm sure he's still there."

"Thank you."

"No problem. But… could I ask a favor of you?"

"Sure. What's up?" Ichigo smiled. Something about Pantera was very inviting to him now. Much more than it was the last time they spent time under the sun like this.

"The last time you made food for me, it was a nice change from the raw meat Grimmjow would provide. There's some fish in the kitchen that's smothered with a special sauce this hotel has that I was wondering if you could fry for me."

"Heh, I can do that for you. Want me to try kido, or actually cooking it?" the orange-head replied.

"We probably won't have access to a stove when we leave this island, so kido would be the best bet. I could get used to it."

"Alright. Get ready for some tasty, kido-fried fish!"

* * *

As he walked out to the beach, Ichigo wondered what it was about this place that seemed so relaxing. Everything was just so ideal. The sky was bright and packed with harmless clouds with the sun hanging high in its almost heavenly presence. The occasional breezes stopped it from being too hot, and the surrounding waters probably added to that effect.

Everything was just so enjoyable. If he didn't have a journey to continue and a kingdom to return to, Ichigo would have considered staying here for an extended vacation. However, he had duties to live up to, a friend to see again, and a home to protect that was filled with the warmth his family, friends, and comrades gave him.

Too much rode on his actions today. It was the weight of his world and everything he'd come to know in it.

When he spotted Grimmjow sitting alone on the beach, he smiled and sped up his pace… a tiny bit.

"Grimmjow!" he called.

Said man turned and scowled at him.

"What's with that look?"

"Don't play dumb! You always get me dragged into the most annoying situations!" Grimmjow snapped, fuming and raging, and then turned his attention back out to sea. If nothing else, he was just glad he was looking at it from this place and not from the undesired underwater view he'd had before.

"Are you really that mad?" Ichigo asked as he reached the Arrancar and sat down beside him.

Grimmjow reached down and grabbed up a drink, that he had barely touched surprisingly, and took a long swig from it before responding, "I am. I won't forget what happened down there. It's all your fault I wound up eaten by two oversized fish  _twice_ . Not to mention how fucking horrid it was  to be under miles of water and pressure."

"Hey, I didn't force you to come with me. You can pin all the blame on yourself." Ichigo said, crossing his legs and folding his arms.

"Me…? Why… did I do that…" Grimmjow asked himself.

"Huh?"

"Oh… it's nothing. Butt out."

"Hey, I thought we weren't supposed to be arguing anymore."

"If you make me mad, I'm not gonna hold my fucking tongue about it. You can just shut up and listen when I snap, then we won't wind up arguing."

"You are an impossible person, you know."

After that, there was silence. The two of them sat in each other's presence under the warm spell of the boomingly perfect day. It seemed that even when they didn't see each other for a while, they would still wind up at each other's throats.

After what felt like hours of just gazing out at the shining ocean, Ichigo spoke again. "Grimmjow."

"What?"

"We should talk about what we're gonna do from here."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, we've got Nel and Pantera again. Even though we just finished a trial, I don't think we should stay here for too long… We need to find the crystal of this place and go."

"Crystal?"

"Yeah. Don't play dumb. It's why we're here in the first place." Ichigo squinted in irritation. Honestly, Grimmjow seemed to have forgotten all about it.

"…"

"You have a room, right? At the hotel?"

"Yeah. But I ain't lifting a pinky to help that place out."

"They'll probably kick you out, then. Honestly, did you agree to help and not even mean it?"

"Shut up."

"Actually, do you think they'd let you stay for free if they knew you were a prince?"

Grimmjow raised an eyebrow, "Prince?"

"Wh—stop doing that! Jeez! It's like you hit your head or something."

"…"

"We'll have to help out tomorrow. I guess we'd better spend the rest of the day enjoying this paradise."

"I told you I'm not doing any manual labor."

"Then if you get kicked out, don't come crying to me!"

"I wouldn't care even if they did." Grimmjow said as he flipped his drink bottom up and drank from it.

"Can I have some of that?" Ichigo asked with a smile.

Once he had his momentary fill of liquor, Grimmjow put the bottle down in the sand. "You don't drink."

"I do when I want." Ichigo said as he took the drink and drank it. "Ooh, this is good. What flavor is it?"

"Didn't say. It's just a specialty of the hotel." Grimmjow replied, then leaned over to take it back when Ichigo made to keep drinking from it. "Go get your own!" he said as he reached for it.

Ichigo leaned back and fell on his back, causing the drink to spill and stain its way through the sand. "Aw! Look what you did!" he lamented as he watched it be absorbed by the grains.

He and Grimmjow had found themselves lying down in the sand, the latter of the two on top. "You fool, this is your fault!"

"Grimm…" Ichigo smiled as he grabbed said man's shirt. Pulling the buttons loose, he smiled at the scar running down Grimmjow's abdomen. "I've left my mark on you." he said, looking up into the oceanic blue eyes of his so-called comrade.

Grimmjow backed off, but didn't remove himself from Ichigo's personal space or reestablish his own. "Are you trying to start something? 'Cuz I can return the favor-"

"Shh." Ichigo insisted, placing his index finger over Grimmjow's lips. "You already have." He said as he took the Arrancar's arm into his hand and then made him rest his hand on his lower stomach. "It's here."

Grimmjow looked utterly befuddled as he felt Ichigo's stomach rise and fall. "The heck are you talking about?"

"It's been here for a long time. Your Reiatsu."

In the blink of an eye, befuddlement turned to shock. "What?!"

"I don't really know when it happened," Ichigo started as he closed his eyes and felt the sun running over the parts of him that weren't hidden by Grimmjow's hovering form, "But it's there. I can't get rid of it. Heck, I can't really tell it's there. But multiple people have pointed it out to me. So you've also given me a scar that I can't rid myself of. In that respect, we're even."

Grimmjow pulled his hand free from Ichigo's grasp and got off of him completely. "Why tell me that?"

"I just said the reason: we're even."

"Even?"

"Yeah. There's nothing overly complicated about that, is there? I left that scar on you and you left yours on me. Neither was intentional, but we did so anyway."

"Even if we are even, it doesn't change the fact that I'm going to destroy you."

"Hey…"

"What?"

"For one day… do you think…" Ichigo stumbled to find the right words, "You think we could spend it together, just you and me, and not argue or fight?"

"You want to spend time with me alone? Do you want me to give it to you that badly? I mean, for a whole day? Even I have my limits…"

"It's not about  _that_! Jeez! …I've been thinking that maybe we could… ah… be friends someday. And this way we could get to know each other better."

Grimmjow stared at Ichigo with a vacant expression. Ichigo wondered if he was seriously considering what he'd just said. Considering it, that is, until Grimmjow's skin started turning red and he tried biting back a massive fit of laughter. When Grimmjow did let it out, he let it out. The calmness of the day shattered with his manic laugh.

Ichigo blushed and looked away. He knew he shouldn't have even tried.

Grimmjow's laughter continued for a while, much longer than necessary. It died out, slowly, and eventually, things grew quiet again. Unbearably so. Ichigo had opened up to him, if only a little, and was shut down ever so coldly. It hurt like alcohol on an open wound, just as it usually did when it came to things like this with Grimmjow.

"Kurosaki." Grimmjow said seriously, breaking the silence very abruptly.

"…"

Even despite not getting an answer, Grimmjow continued. "Why would you want to be my friend? Don't you know I want to kill you? Are you special or something? I mean, you're just barely getting over when I stabbed you in the forest, right? Was that not proof enough?"

"…"

"You're insane. You understand that we could never truly understand each other? We're night and day, you and me. We can't relate on any level. Our reasons for living are vastly different. We constantly argue with each other. And while you're keen on helping the weak, I'd love to watch them suffer from their own powerlessness. Most of all, we've only been cooperating for some common goal... If it weren't for that, we'd never have started traveling together and you know it."

"So what?"

"'So what'?" the Arrancar echoed in confusion. "Is that it?  _That's_  your reply?"

"After all this time we've been together, you think you would see me as someone dependable. Someone you could turn to. But I can see that you're intent on shutting everyone out no matter how much they try to get close to you. Even Pantera…"

"What did you say?"

"You heard me. And I've come to the decision that I want to take him with me when this is all over."

Grimmjow's nose flared and he bawled his hand up into a fist. "Wh—I'll  _never_  hand him over to the likes of you! The day that happens you'd best believe it'll be over my  _dead body_!"

"When the time comes, we'll let him decide."

"…"

"I mean it."

"Keheheh heheheheh…" Grimmjow closed his eyes and shook his head as if he'd just heard a joke that had extraordinarily poor taste, but opened them again and looked Ichigo in the eyes, "You're almost crazy enough to like, Kurosaki."

Ichigo's eyes went wide, "What?"

"You say fucked up shit, you manipulate me in more ways than you  _think_  I'm aware of, and you even think the  _one_  thing in this world that will always be mine will be yours someday. You've got spunk, if nothing else…" Grimmjow grinned, "Heh, fine. I'll give you your day. I don't know what it is you're trying to prove, but you're on. Starting tomorrow, we'll spend every waking minute together and you'll see just how incompatible we are. It'll teach you that we won't ever be anything more than enemies with a common interest."

"You realize what that means, right?"

"Huh?"

"With your promise to spend a whole day with me, you're gonna have to work with me tomorrow, doing whatever it is that owner wants us to do." Ichigo grinned deviously.

Blue eyebrows furrowed. "Y—you tricked me! Was that what you wanted all along!?"

"Doesn't matter. You and I will be inseparable tomorrow."

" _DAMN_  you…!" Grimmjow growled and got so red in the face he had to turn away. "Forced to do manual labor for a shitty hotel… I  _won't_  forget this."

"Oh yeah? Just like you didn't forget you're the prince of…" Ichigo stopped, unsure of what it was Grimmjow was prince of. He knew he was a prince for sure, but the name and the place were totally forgotten to him. "Now that I think about it… I know I'm a soldier, but… I don't have the slightest recollection of  _where_  it is I serve." He said with a hopeless expression on his face.

"I don't know what the heck you're going on about. All I know is, even after you get your day, I'll still have the rest of my life to stay here doing what I want. Can't be too hard to show you up with the promise of this paradise lying ahead of me…" Grimmjow said. "I don't think I'd ever want to leave this place, especially considering how I could make things go my way with the snap of my fingers."

"Yeah…" Ichigo agreed, his expression changing to a much more lax one, "I don't want to leave this place, either."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter won't arrive for the next two weeks, but do look forward to it!


	54. trial of island archipelago

Even as his eyelids were heavy and threatening to close on him at any given second, Ichigo walked the hallways of Matrid's grand hotel. Each step he took seemed more difficult to take than the last, but a promise he was given kept pushing his tired body on. At some point in his trip up the floors, he realized the alcohol he'd chugged with Nel was acting as yet another hindrance on his way to that room.

Still, he pressed on.

"For the love of…" he grumbled. The hallways seemed to go on forever, even with the elevator's help in expediting the trip… a tiny bit.

Finally, he stopped in front of Grimmjow's door. The time on the clock hanging at the end of the hall read 11:58. Turning back to the door, he reached out and knocked on it.

No response came for him.

Grimmjow was either asleep or not in his room. It couldn't have been the latter, because Grimmjow didn't like the beach or being near vast open bodies of water. Finding him on the beach earlier came as quite the surprise to Ichigo. When they split up, Grimmjow insisted that he didn't want to be disturbed.

He knocked again; this time a little bit harder.

The door cracked and blue eyes glowed in the darkness that encased the room.

"What do you want?" Grimmjow asked, sounding tired and irritated.

"Let me in." Ichigo replied as he forced the door open and entered the room. He'd found a bit more energy now that he was in Grimmjow's presence. After all, being around him required both energy and a great amount of alertness.

"It's bad luck to enter the threshold of another uninvited." The Arrancar warned as he closed the door, acting contrarily to what he'd just said by not stopping Ichigo.

"Yeah yeah. And it's bad character to break a promise. Not to mention it's bad to leave a door unlocked while you sleep…" Ichigo countered. There was no sound of a lock coming undone before the door had opened. Grimmjow certainly was confident in his abilities.

"What are you talking about?" Grimmjow said as he scratched his head.

Ichigo looked around in the dark room and tried letting his eyes adjust, since his light source—the hallway—was now cut off from him. "You forgot already? You and I said we'd spend the whole day together."

Grimmjow growled a bit, "You woke me up for that? The hell is your problem?!"

With a big yawn, Ichigo headed on to the bedroom. "I'm tired, that's what it is. I'm about to solve it real quick."

"Sleep on the couch."

"Stop being such a jerk…" the tired orange-head yawned out, then left Grimmjow standing in the living room area.

"He's such an annoying…" Grimmjow trailed off with a huff and went into the room as well.

Out on the balcony, Pantera's ears stood up as the sound of bickering came from inside. They fell, however, when the noise died out and the night regained its tranquil caress.

"Scoot over." Grimmjow grumbled as he pulled the covers over himself.

"Stop being such a grouchy cover hog, Grumpyjow." Ichigo said as he sat up and squinted at the Arrancar, only able to see him thanks to the pale moonlight coming in through the open French doors. The cool night breezes, though calm, weren't the most pleasant for someone with no cover to bundle under.

"Don't call me that! You can go back to your room if you don't like it! I wasn't expecting company tonight, and I'm not fond of surprise guests!"

Falling back onto the large mattress, Ichigo inhaled deeply and held it in. He was close to exploding, but knew he needed to control his anger and frustration. There were people sleeping above, below, and on both sides of them. Taking their night of rest into consideration, he exhaled and pinched the bridge of his nose.

Grimmjow snickered at the display of frustration and turned his back to Ichigo, taking all the cover with him as he did.

And it was then that Ichigo let his eyes flock over the man lying beside him as a realization hit him like bricks through paper.

In this moment, and from the few before that this had happened, he understood just what it meant.

As a known fact, Grimmjow had admitted that he wanted to kill Ichigo. And that wasn't something Ichigo would be forgetting any time soon. But still, that meant Grimmjow acknowledged him as someone worthy of his time to battle and defeat. Someone he could possibly lose to, in fact. Battle was Grimmjow's primary reason for living.

So with that knowledge, why would Grimmjow  _turn his back_  to Ichigo the way he had?

In battle, one did not turn their back to an enemy lest they sought their own death. What Grimmjow just did proved beyond a shadow of a doubt something important: that he  _trusted_  Ichigo. At the moment, he didn't exactly know this, but this instance was certainly different than the first time Grimmjow had done that back in Las Noches when they spent nights together. At that point, Grimmjow could sleep with his back to him because he had totally subdued him. Took the wings and talons from the bird and held onto it in a cage. However, here, things were even between them. Regardless of their pre-standing history, tonight Ichigo had his freedom and his sword, so killing him would be easy, and Grimmjow must've known that.

Actions always spoke louder than words, and Grimmjow's had given him away. He saw him as a comrade as well… or, at least not a hostile.

And that made Ichigo smile, forgetting his foul mood entirely. It was amazing how coming to understand Grimmjow and his actions could change his mood. He couldn't ever stay mad at him for too long, it seemed.

Moving closer to Grimmjow, he bumped his forehead against the man's back and sighed in relief.

" _You really do trust me now, don't you?"_  he thought.

Grimmjow felt it and looked over his shoulder. "I'm not in the mood tonight."

"Oh! Freakin' get over yourself! That's not even why I moved over here!"

"What do you want?"

"I can't be close to you?"

"…I can't stop you even if I tried…" Grimmjow conceded.

"Grimm," Ichigo began hesitantly. His desire for sleep was fading and being replaced by hungry curiosity. "Let's talk."

"Talk? Really? Now? …Kurosaki, I'm tired."

"If you could be anywhere in the world, where would you be?"

Grimmjow grumbled and sighed. "Tired…"

"C'mon."

"Fine. Somewhere like a desert."

"Oh? Why a desert?"

"'Cuz it's nice. There'd be boundless freedom and no fucking oceans to pester me."

"Heh, you really don't like oceans…"

"No, but I  _do_  like sleeping. I'm not in the mood to chat."

Ichigo draped his arm over Grimmjow and pressed his nose against the back of the Arrancar's neck and his chest against his covered back. "You gonna make me sleep without a blanket?"

"If I share it, will you let me go to sleep?"

"Yeah, I guess. I just wanted to talk, that's all…"

" _Good night_ , Kurosaki." Grimmjow said as he shared the covers with the smaller man by tossing them over him.

With the layer of cover blocking his reach gone, Ichigo moved his hand around until he found Grimmjow's hand. A tiny smile graced his lips as he took hold of it and wasn't brushed off. Although Grimmjow's hand remained limp and motionless, it was still nice to have it to hold on to.

"Good night, Grimm. Hope you won't be as grumpy in the morning." He said as his eyes finally closed and he fell into the night's serene embrace.

"Yeah, now let me sleep. Please."

* * *

When the sun began to peek out on the horizon as it faithfully did each day, its light spread across the ocean and left shimmering glimmers on its calm surface.

Ichigo's eyes slowly opened and caught sight of nature's brightest metaphor, but he closed his eyes again and wiped the bit of drool from his mouth. Grimmjow was lying in front of him still. He could feel his breathing as it calmly coincided with the stillness of the morning, the sounds of the gentle ocean waves adding to this glimpse of serenity.

Right now, he just wanted to lay and not face the world for a while…

Grimmjow was all he needed.

That's what he told himself as his eyes closed ever so slowly.

"Ichigooooo!" Nel's voice came from the living room. "It's time to wake up!" she sang as she entered the bedroom. When she saw Ichigo pull the cover over his head, she shook hers.

Without warning, she pounced on top of him and shook him.

"Nel, what the hell?!" Ichigo shouted as he glared at her for ruining his relaxing morning.

Grimmjow covered his head with the pillow he'd been sleeping on in a futile attempt to drown out the noise. "What the hell are you doing in my room?!" he shouted when his morning visitor insisted on continued loudness.

"I'm here to get you both! It's about time for you to go down to see Matrid for your schedules! He woke me up with a giant gong, so be happy that I decided to come get you instead of letting him do it!" Nel said. She was a good friend for granting them the lesser of two extremes.

Ichigo ran his hand through his hair and sighed. "Alright. We'll be down in a second."

"Good." The girl said as she got off the bed. "By the way, I wasn't aware that you two slept together like that. You looked so cute!"

"Get out!" Grimmjow roared, urging Nel to dash from the room with a colossal grin on her face. "I'll have her head if she continues to be such a nuisance…" he said as he looked around for his shirt.

"You shouldn't talk that way about our friend. She's going to be going with us."

"With us?  _Where_  are we going?"

"I… I don't know… To work… right?"

Pantera's ears picked up this conversation, or rather the entire morning gag, and he sat up. "Grimmjow, where is it you plan to go? Do you not know?"

Grimmjow got out of bed and picked his shirt up off the floor before responding, "No, I don't know. I didn't have plans on leaving this island." He truly didn't.

"That's good, then."

"Oh, hey." Ichigo interrupted as he got out of bed and stretched his arms up in the air. "Let's go to my room before we go down to see Matrid."

"Why?"

"Just come with me."

* * *

Hands on her hips as she headed downstairs, Nel shook her head. Honestly, she wondered what it was that Ichigo saw in Grimmjow. "He's as mean as the sky is blue!" she huffed as she opened the door at the bottom of the staircase and went into the lobby.

"The sky isn't always blue." A child said as she walked by with a messy, drippy, syrupy plate of pancakes and ice cream.

"Eh?"

"Well, you're an adult, right? You know the sky turns different colors than blue. Like pretty sunsets or rainy days or even red like out in the desert sometimes. My daddy's book talks about the many different colors of the sky!"

Nel watched as the girl continued on her way, dripping syrup on the ground as she went to God knows where with her food. That girl… maybe she had a point…

"Oh crap! I'll probably end up cleaning up that mess she made!" she shrieked as she tried scurrying away.

"Nelliel!" Matrid called from the elevator entrance on the second floor. He descended some of the stairs that hugged he walls and made his way over to her. "I have your name tag and uniform all ready for you."

"Oh…" Nel sweatdropped, "Thank you…"

"Please take care of this mess. It's unsightly."

"Of course." The gypsy said with a false smile and steam shooting out from her ears.

Matrid hurried her along to the elevator so she could quickly go to her room and change into her uniform. "And don't waste time please. We've got to set up for the midnight fest tonight!"

"What? Midnight fest?"

* * *

"What is that?" Grimmjow asked as he looked over Ichigo's shoulder. A bird was sleeping on Ichigo's bed, which he immediately assumed Ichigo took in considering the windows were closed meaning it had no way to fly in of its own accord.

"His name's Chile."

"Chile? Wh—how do you know his name?" Grimmjow asked a bit suspiciously.

"'Cuz I named him."

Getting closer to Chile, Grimmjow looked him over and even took in his scent. "What kind of bird is this? I've never smelled one that has the scent of…" his blue eyes widened in shock.

"He's a phoenix. And Nel thinks he's my spirit animal."

"A phoenix?! Impossible! Those are one of the rarest creatures in existence! There's no way you found a nursling! And for it to be your spirit animal is… preposterous!"

"Well," Ichigo started, looking out the window at the forest and morning sky plastered behind it. "I didn't steal him or anything. His mother died and left him in my care."

"Tch… I don't believe this." The Arrancar brooded as he backed off a bit.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were jealous." Ichigo teased.

"But that's just it. You  _don't_  know any better."

"Hey, back off. I didn't ask for this!"

Grimmjow went over to the wall and leaned his back heavily against it, "I'm very content with Pantera. Your little chicken would never compare to a beast like him."

Ichigo deadpanned, bringing his finger up to his chin, "You think Pantera would eat Chile if they were together?" he asked.

"Rrrrgh! Shut your mouth, idiot!"

"Oh, hey. Let's get out of here. I don't want your shouting to wake him up. And I only wanted to see if he was okay after a few hours of me being gone." Without needing to be told twice, Grimmjow left the room with Ichigo behind him. Ichigo smiled when they got out into the hallway and walked side by side. "Hey, do all Arrancar have spirit animals? Nel said she didn't have one-"

The taller of the two came to a complete halt. "So she  _is_  an Arrancar?!"

Ichigo stopped as well. "Well, I guess. She said she was an Espada, actually. But apparently that guy we fought in the desert turned on her and kicked her out of… well… her home… I guess… Man… you guys were even a threat to each other… What a tiring way to live…"

"You don't know anything about it."

"My question still stands." Ichigo said as he initiated their walk again.

"What does it matter to you?"

"I'm just curious… jeez."

"Not all Arrancar have spirit animals."

"So explain it to me... Pantera is a spirit animal of what you were in a past life. Does he help you transform…? Is that how you can?"

"No." Grimmjow replied flatly. "I already told you I gained the ability to transform as a teenager, that was when I didn't have him. Pantera is little more than a guide and a reservoir of energy for me in battle. Which is why I don't use him for that purpose."

"And why's that exactly?"

"Nothing you need to concern yourself with."

"C'mon. Tell me."

"You are such a persistent-"

"Please?"

Grimmjow sighed. Sometimes, the only way to shut Ichigo up was to tell him what he wanted to know. "…I want him to collect Reiatsu for me for a final showdown."

"Interesting. With who?"

"You ask a lot of questions."

"I'm curious about you."

"Don't be..." Grimmjow said before giving a smirk at his own forgetfulness. "Shit… I don't even remember who it is I wanted to kill anymore…"

"What? Really? You think you'd remember someone you wanted to go all out against." Ichigo said as he started wondering how Grimmjow could forget something so important. This was  _Grimmjow_ , after all.

"Put a sock in it."

"Soo anywaaaay…" Ichigo said as he narrowed his brown eyes at Grimmjow, "What kind of work do you think we'll be doing today?" he asked as they finally arrived in the lobby.

" _I_  wouldn't have  _any_  to do if it weren't for you!" Grimmjow snarled.

"There you two are!" Nel said as she hurried over to them. "Here, put these on and let's get to work!"

Ichigo and Grimmjow were both handed a pair of uniforms—a white shirt and gray shorts that had a blue line running down the pants legs—and hurried off to a broom closet.

"Change in there quickly! If Matrid sees us not working we'll be moved to the basement rooms!"

"Would that really be so bad?" Ichigo asked before he even started going into the tiny closet. Nel's stare told him what he needed to know. "Going to change now."

"Thank you. Staying here for the rest of time doesn't sound so bad if I can keep my room. But if I had to live on the bare minimum and starve, I just don't think I could do it… and with two bumbling  _guys_  at that. Why couldn't one of you have been a girl… At least then you'd understand." Nel said, wishing she weren't the only female in their little circle. It was as if all her years of traveling and doing the exact thing she dreaded had vanished from her memory completely.

"She is like a child you can't pacify." Grimmjow said as he pulled the light switch. It helped light the room a little.

Ichigo turned around and undressed so he could pull his uniform on. Grimmjow watched him intently before doing the same.

"She's my friend, so I'll put up with it."

"Kurosaki, are you nervous taking your clothes off in front of me?"

"N—no…"

Grimmjow walked up and pressed his chest to Ichigo's back. He let his hand trail down Ichigo's stomach and then ventured into the smaller man's undergarments. "Does  _this_  make you nervous?"

"Of course… not!" Ichigo stuttered, then pushed Grimmjow off him. "We have work to do! And I'm not doing something like  _that_  in a… broom closet!"

"No arguing, remember?"

"Nel is right out there! If she opens the door and sees us… she'll never stop talking about it…!"

Grimmjow brought his fingers up to his nose and sniffed them. A smirk crawled across his face the moment he did. "Your words belie the fact that your body is literally begging me to take it. It's been a while since I did, hasn't it?"

"Idiot…" Ichigo said as he left the closet, flustered and embarrassed.

"Hey! Hurry up, Grimmjow, or we'll tell Matrid to kick you out to sea! If we can set up and clean up in time, we can enjoy the celebration tonight!"

Grimmjow's ears twitched at the choices presented to him. On one hand, he absolutely detested the idea of doing menial labor. On the other, he did not want to deal with the ocean, and the word celebration implied liquor would be at his disposal…

Emerging from the closet in his uniform, which looked as if a thousand maids had dressed him and then each double-checked for mistakes, even where his missing arm was concerned, Grimmjow raised his fist in the air and a look of unshakable determination held his face sturdily. "What are you two waiting for?! This is no time for pussy-footing around!" he shouted as he looked around for the short man he would  _temporarily_  be thinking of as a boss.

Ichigo sweatdropped and Nel's blouse slipped off her shoulder.

"Here is a list of things the boss gave me to disperse to you two." Nel said, pulling multiple folded slip of paper from her chest pocket. She handed both her fellow workers one and then smiled. "Let's get this work done quickly so we can enjoy ourselves!"

* * *

Across the island, and at the temple near the center…

"Are you sure we should just leave him be?" a girl asked her statuesque fellow guardian. The two of them stood at the darkened temple's main room, looking out at the island and the ocean in the far distance. "That doesn't sound like the best idea for a possible threat…"

"Of course I'm sure. As I told you before, the arrival of that orange-haired boy and his companions only spells the end for them. The island's essence will turn them from their desires to leave, and they will rot away in forsaken bliss masked by paradise." Senbonzakura replied calmly. He rarely ever grew anxious, which is why he often times wished he hadn't been paired with the childish and irksome young girl that was the Zanpakutō spirit copy of the human Momo Hinamori.

Tobiume sighed and walked out into the light of day. "I suppose if they can't remember why it is they want to leave, it's essentially the same as letting them die… But what if one of them regains their memory…?" she wondered to herself. She had a habit of doing that—running a situation over a thousand times in her mind—as talking to Senbonzakura usually resulted in more questions than answers.

Despite her suspicions, she did know that the only possible way for a person to regain their lost memories of their home outside the island was for them to obtain the crystal she and Senbonzakura guarded with the highest effort they could afford. Still, her fears had no real foundation to support them. There was, after all, no way any human could sneak in without being detected by Senbonzakura. As a long-range fighter with a wide scope and heightened senses by way of nature's call, he was the best choice to guard the region surrounding the temple.

"Hey, didn't you tell me that you found a toy lying on the ground not far from here?" the girl asked.

"I did. I was going to dispose of it, but it had a strange aura about it. So I placed it in a barrier in the lowest level of the temple. Since this temple is your domain, I should expect you will keep a good eye on it to ensure nothing happens." Senbonzakura told her as he came out from the temple and hopped up onto the thick, wooden railing. "I'll be off." He finished as he leapt from the balcony into the dense forest.

"If it was just a silly toy, then dispose of it!" Tobiume shouted. Sometimes she seriously considered what life would be like had she been placed in the arctic region of Earthia's main continent instead of here in this lonely paradise. "I'd gladly take the cold any day if it meant I could be with you for the rest of my life, Hyōrinmaru…" she doted as she gazed up at the sky.

That handsome face of his could be a shining ray she could eagerly gaze upon each day. And his arms would wrap around her lovingly, keeping her heart from freezing over and warming her young soul.

It was all she could do, daydreaming of such things, in this fool's paradise.


	55. the cascade

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I'm terribly sorry this chapter is late. A lot of things are going on, and on top of that school has started again. So updates are going to be pushed back to a biweekly schedule again. This particular chapter needed all the time I could afford, and I found it to be well worth the time it took to publish.
> 
> Also, WARNING: THERE IS MATURE CONTENT IN THIS CHAPTER (but also very important content).
> 
> Enjoy!

Almost to the point where it was impossible to accomplish even the smallest tasks at hand, the hotel's lower floor, lobby, restaurants, and pools began filling to the brim with jovial guests who were eagerly awaiting the start of the midnight fest. Many of them were wearing very relaxed clothing, although a great number of the women were intent on wearing glittery make-up to match their almost glowing smiles and booming vanities.

With an armful of banners and other things needed for this fest to have outstanding ambience, Nel made her way through the crowds of guests who were chattering away aimlessly.

" _Jeez, what's so special about these people that they don't have to work like this?"_ she wondered as she squeezed through the perverted old men that were all eager to take a grab at her skirt. "Hands off or I'll… I'll… ugh!" she screamed at one man who went a bit too far and actually lifted her skirt. Matrid told her to be nice to the guests, and it was a known fact that the customer was always right… even if all that truly amounted to was employees being taken advantage of...

"I wonder what those guys are doing outside." She said when she finally escaped the endlessly gossiping groups on the first floor by going out to the back of the hotel. Not that she was alone, since this was where the biggest pool resided, meaning it too was packed, but being outside, she at least had room to breathe.

"Most of these people are talking about absolutely nothing…!" she said, squinting at the post-pubescent young women throwing daggers at her. The lot of them looked like they'd never worked an honest day's work in their lives… while she was stuck here, setting up for this fest, unable to enjoy any drinks, laughter, or endless conversation.

Maybe later tonight she could sneak off. There was some mention of fireworks, and she was really interested in that.

* * *

It was certainly a difficult task for Pantera to sleep peacefully with all the noise coming from the ground level. He found it simpler to just stay awake than the option of sleeping one would  _believe_  to be the easier of the two since it required no energy whatsoever.

At some point in his conscious misery, he decided to jump out to the forest below, leaving Grimmjow's room to walk the island in hopes of finding a better place to enjoy the day. Humans had never really been the best creatures to hang around. And as he started walking through the forest with all the gaps of sunlight creeping in from above, he couldn't help but feel like he'd found himself entangled with a human he would gladly spend the rest of his life with.

Grimmjow and all the things that surrounded him were definitely interesting enough not to write humans off altogether. In his often times cold and distant fronts, Grimmjow unknowingly provided a sense of peace and relaxation for Pantera. He could be himself with him. Few words were needed to express himself, as they understood one another almost perfectly. On days when they didn't speak, or even see each other, he could think uninterrupted—collect thoughts and simply enjoy his state of being. Strength was another thing he admired about Grimmjow. That very strength was what saved him, and also added a certain unexpected element in both their lives.

Kurosaki, Ichigo—a curious human, to say the least.

Finding a nice and shady spot tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the busy hotel, Pantera continued to reflect on all that had occurred since he could recall the arrival of that orange-headed human.

Grimmjow was a different person now, and that was a fact. He seemed much more open and tolerable to the desires of others. Why, last night proved that quite well. No one dared invite themselves into Grimmjow's presence without permission.

Had Pantera been able to recall it, he'd have known this was especially true of palace maids and concubines. The idea was unthinkable, especially when it was lights out.

Still, he wondered why Grimmjow had given in and complied with Ichigo so easily.

He couldn't be sure, but he was inclined to believe there must have been even more moments like that between them since the two of them started traveling together.

" _My memory… is hazy…"_  he observed as he tried recalling the first moment he'd seen Grimmjow and Ichigo interacting. His ears stood as the sounds of something approaching through the bushes reached them.

"Well, well." A familiar voice said as it drew ever closer. "Looks like  _someone_  is a bit forgetful today!"

* * *

"Alright, I think these are all supposed to line up so they lead to the hotel." Ichigo said to Grimmjow as they came upon the torches lying in the sand. "And we're also supposed to line them along the front of the hotel as well."

Grimmjow took a seat in the sand and sighed, "Have the other employees do that! Isn't there anything else to do that's more interesting?" he asked.

"Well, we've got a list of things to do." Ichigo said, reminding him of the slips of paper Nel had given them. "Pick anything on there and we'll knock it out."

"' _We'll'_? You're still intent on hanging around me today?"

"Yep."

"I say we skip out on all these  _chores_  and have some  _real_  fun. You saw those girls in there, right?"

"The snobby ones who gawked at us like we were circus attractions when we passed them up?" Ichigo asked, glossing over the entire event as he lifted a torch and looked it over.

"Yeah. Those ones."

"What about 'em?"

"I wanna have my way with them and show them just what the  _real_  attraction around this place is."

Ichigo stared at Grimmjow, noting just how man-whore-ish he was, for the slightest moment before he replied. "No offense, but I'm not interested."

After standing up and dusting his rear end off, Grimmjow tossed the piece of paper to the ground. "Suit yourself. I'm gonna go-"

"No way. We're staying together today. You gave me your word." Ichigo interrupted.

"Kurosaki, for five minutes… or actually fifteen… can I have some time to do what I want? Y'know, without you being there? This idea of you being my shadow is getting weird."

"Even if I would agree to that, you can't do what you want today. We're here to work, not play. If you really want to jeopardize your continued stay in the hotel and risk being kicked off the island, then by all means, go have as much sex as you want."

Grimmjow did not reply. He simply sat down in the sand again and brooded. He truly hated when Kurosaki was right.

"Are you going to help me or not?" Ichigo asked as he started standing the torches up and grinding them down into the sand so they'd have a proper foundation.

"Yeah, yeah. Don't get your panties in a twist."

* * *

Sometime later…

"You're… kidding me..." Grimmjow said, his tan face notably a bit flushed and a look of slight embarrassment on it.

"Nope. If you go, then I go." Ichigo replied maturely.

"At the same time? I mean… Kurosaki, I know you're familiar with my junk and all, but do you really wanna watch me take a leak?"

"I just said we'd be going at the same time. It's not like I'm getting some rise out of it. We're both guys, after all."

Grimmjow turned and headed off towards the part of the beach where an incline became a cliff. When he heard Ichigo stop behind him, he shook his head and quickly unzipped his shorts.

Ichigo walked right up beside him and undid his own zipper. Once he had himself aimed at the water below, he noticed in the corner of his eye Grimmjow standing there like a statue. "Something wrong?" he asked.

"I don't know… it's kinda weird to go with you beside me." Grimmjow admitted as he stared out at the ocean. "Plus, I'm face-to-face with something I do not like in the least."

"You can fuck me  _and_  be naked to fish around me, but you can't piss with me?"

Blue eyes rolled at that oversimplified sum-up. "Look, it's just weird. Jeez, your dedication to this day is… just not natural…"

"Hey, you're doing it with one hand." Ichigo observed with a smile after he saw Grimmjow holding his dick and shorts up at the same time.

"I'm not an idiot. Just why the hell is it so surprising?!"

"No reason. I just thought… things would be harder for you since… well you know… your arm is gone…"

Grimmjow's stream shot first, and then Ichigo started after him. The wind began quietly blowing, knocking both their streams a bit off track, yet they still hit their destination. It was an uncomfortably calm and different kind of experience…

When he was finished, Grimmjow tucked himself back into his shorts and then fixed them so they were proper again. "I'm fine without it."

* * *

As night came and the stars began lighting the darkened sky, all of them paling in comparison to the moon's luminescent glow, the hotel island was entranced in a spell of pure, inescapable celebration. The midnight fest was meant to honor the island's hospitality to its inhabitants and was held once every two weeks. This biweekly schedule provided adequate time for the inhabitants to not only recuperate from an entire day of celebration, but to also remember that life carried on and responsibilities, for those who had them, existed.

Those of higher status who resided in the upper floors of the hotel even looked forward to this time, as it meant for at least a day the working class on this island wouldn't be complaining about their jobs.

All in all, it provided some sense of unity; albeit a fleeting one.

Seated in the sand off to herself under the torchlight with a drink in her hand, Nel found herself wondering what lay beyond the island. Though she had no real desire to leave, it was primordial desire to wonder what's beyond the place one knows as home.

She was shaken from her thoughts of what was beyond the sea when she felt an energy coming her way.

"Who…" she said, squinting at them. "You…?"

Pantera motioned for her to follow him and walked on past her. This ushered Nel onto her feet to do just that with a questioning look on her face.

* * *

Under a low-hanging palm tree, Ichigo sat staring out at the ocean water glistening calmly because of the moon's tranquil light. He was distracted, however, when he saw something familiar coming his way. "Kon?" he said curiously.

"Hello there, Ichigo!" Kon greeted as he trekked through the sand.

"What are you doing here?"

"You didn't even come looking for me! Jerk! I shouldn't be nice enough to do this… but we'll never leave if you stay the way you are."

"Do what?"

"Ichigo, do you know who you are?"

"Of course, you dummy."

Kon nodded agreeably, "Good. Good. And do you know where you're from?"

"This island."

"No! That's wrong! I can see whatever they've done to you is getting worse. So, answer me this final question!"

Ichigo raised an eyebrow. Kon was losing what was left of his mind, it seemed. "What question?"

"Who is it you're trying to see again? Don't tell me you've forgotten!"

"Well, I guess Grimmjow. But I can see him fine from here." The orange-head replied as he gazed a bit further down the beach at the man lying very relaxed in the sand with his hand behind his head.

With a disapproving shake of his head, Kon pulled something out of his mouth and held it up: a red, jagged rock that had an amazing sleekness to it. It started glowing an intense crimson, lighting the area up even more than the torches did. "You have to remember why you're not at home in the first place!" the lion plushie ordered.

Ichigo's breathing grew heavy and he fell back into the sand, grabbing his head to soothe the ensuing headache.

" _Kurosaki-kun!"_

"Gaaah…!" he cried out. The imaged of a woman blurred from view grew more and more vivid.

" _Kurosaki-kuun! I've brought you some goodies from work! We can eat them while we talk about stuff!"_

"That's right!" Kon shouted. "Remember it all!"

Another woman, walking a tightrope.,, _"You sure get me into some strange situations… But if I ever wanna escape them, I'll just go somewhere up high. That's where I can go to be where no one can bother me."_

A tattooed man with a wide grin…  _"Ichigo! Don't let me catch you slipping from your training! I still want that rematch you promised me! You gotta be at full strength for it!"_

A slender man with his nose pointed the slightest bit in the air…  _"Kurosaki, if you ever decide to be anything, don't be an idiot… You're taking others' lives into your hands. No one wants a dimwitted doctor."_

A short woman with a sigh of relief…  _"Even though it's nice being around your family so much, I do have a job to do. But tell everyone I'll see them soon."_

A large, towering man with hair covering his eyes…  _"Ichigo, how's it going today?"_

A chipper, bouncy girl spinning about in a kitchen…  _"Onii-chan, want some stew tonight? Or maybe I should make something different…? Tell meee!"_

A calm, yet active girl leaning against a wall…  _"Ichigo, watch out for dad. He's being weird again. Pretty sure he's hiding behind the door in your room to catch you."_

An energetic man throwing his fists in the air challengingly… _"Ichigoooo! My son! Your reflexes aren't where they need to be-"_

Grimmjow sat up when he saw a light flash and Ichigo start yelling. He'd been enjoying his evening of silence up 'til now. But as he stared at the light, he felt something snap in his brain like the string of a violin pulled out too far.

Gazing down at his left arm, or where his left arm used to be, he recalled who it was who had crippled him in such a way. Everything slowly but surely flooded back to his mind. Las Noches. Aizen. Tousen. Ulquiorra. The other Espada. His fallen Fracción. Seireitei. All of it.

When the light faded and then disappeared, he wasted no time in getting on his feet and heading over to Ichigo. "Kurosaki!" he called.

"Grimm…" Ichigo said as he sat up with a woozy look on his face.

"You two should be grateful to me." Kon said with a very proud look on his face. "If I hadn't gotten captured by that cherry blossom freak, all of you would've been stuck in this place forever without having the slightest idea-"

"We got it…" Ichigo interrupted, knocking Kon over with his foot.

"And that's how you treat your hero?!" the plushie shouted.

Grimmjow closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. He couldn't believe his ambitions were so easily forgotten to him. It was as if none of this mattered… and of course Kurosaki was here in the middle of all of these… shenanigans!

Ichigo smiled up at the Arrancar. "Grimmjow, are you alright? Got your memory back?" he asked, genuinely concerned.

Instead of lashing out about how this journey was all Ichigo's fault, and also knowing he willingly came along, Grimmjow nodded and turned. "I'm fine. Let's not waste anymore time here. We got what we came for." He said as he made to depart.

"Hey, wait." Ichigo said, stopping Grimmjow in his tracks. "We shouldn't just leave so easily."

Grimmjow raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"

"Yeah, this place is freaky…" Kon added.

"Well, I made a promise to someone and I need to fulfill it. Also, I can't just leave Chile. Let's wait until morning when the celebration dies down a bit before we make our great escape. Nel probably needs her memories back, too. So Kon, will you do that for me?"

"Do what?"

"Find Nel and do to her what you did to me! Obviously…"

Kon jumped up, "Oh! Right! I forgot she probably fell victim to this island's spell!" he said as he hurried off.

Ichigo stood up and walked over to Grimmjow. He stood face to face with him for a moment without saying anything. But his body and brain urged him to take this next step. "Hey, let's talk about this journey and what we'll be doing from here on."

"Fine."

"Follow me." The orange-head said as he walked further out into the moon-bathed sand.

* * *

"I can't believe Ichigo and that guy were so ungrateful to their hero! Do they not even realize the magnitude of the favor I just did for them!?" Kon said as he fast-walked his way to the hotel. Honestly, if it weren't for his having stumbled onto temple grounds and getting caught by that ponytail-wearing guy, they'd be stuck here for the rest of their lives as their memories of the outside world faded.

As he came upon the standing torches that lit the beach, he looked around for the teal-haired, large-breasted, pretty-faced girl he'd been traveling with up 'til now. If anyone would be nice and thankful, it'd be her.

* * *

With his slender fingers grazing through Grimmjow's hair, Ichigo let his lips trail kisses along the Arrancar's neck. His heart was beating fast, but he was sure this was what he wanted…

"Kurosaki, what are you-"

"Shh…"

Grimmjow squinted, but allowed his benevolent attacker to continue his assault.

Ichigo moved his hands downward until they reached the first button on Grimmjow's uniform. He undid it and then began undoing the next one until he realized the uniform would be absolutely meaningless after tonight. So he ripped it off and tossed it to the side.

When he felt a hand prodding about near his Arrancar hole, GrimmjoHe HHeHw backed off a bit and grabbed Ichigo's arm. "I told you not to mess with that." He said simply.

Ichigo met his eyes defiantly, then used his other hand to stick it inside the opening.

Grimmjow leaned forward and bit Ichigo's shoulder, earning little more than a shudder from the smaller man. "Stop that…!" he said after pulling his teeth away as he tried pushing Ichigo off with his shoulder.

"Grimm…" Ichigo said as he removed his hand and brought it up to grasp the Arrancar's hair, yanking his head back so he was looking up at the sky. "Don't fight me."

"Then stop when I tell you to stop!"

Ichigo backed off a bit and stared at Grimmjow's neck, then his eyes trailed slowly down his chest and abdomen where that dark, wide scar had torn its way down. "It's been a long time since that fight now, hasn't it?" he asked as he released the hair between his fingers.

Grimmjow looked back down at Ichigo and said nothing. It was obviously a long time ago since that had happened…

"I used to hate you for killing my friends. But when I found out they were still alive…" Ichigo trailed off, letting the calmly rolling tides' sounds fill the air. "You're such a malicious, hateful, psychotic person…"

"Your point?"

"I used to hate you for who you were and what you did." Ichigo reiterated. "But now, I honestly think of you as my comrade. The only thing that I hate now is your constant insistence that you don't need anyone to care about you… and also how you don't want to care for anyone else."

"That's me and you've known this for a long time." Grimmjow said as he stared at Ichigo, who averted his gaze to the sand below.

"Grimm… we can continue together. Continue this journey… I want you to achieve your goals, but I don't want you to just forget about how you're getting there. Don't forget me."

"Even after I kill you, I'm sure I won't forget you. You're too strong to forget."

"Like I'll let that happen!" Ichigo shouted, then realized he shouldn't have. This kind of thing didn't require shouting, but called for a much more calm and tender manner of speech…

"So what's with all this small talk?"

"Grimmjow, I've seriously been trying to think of a way to say this to you… For a very long time now, actually. I've been asked this before at least twice, and when I  _was_  asked, I didn't have an answer right away." Grimmjow's expression changed from a blank one to one with just the slightest hint of confusion. Still, Ichigo continued. "Grimmjow, the thought of you with someone else is a hard thing for me to accept... The sight of you in pain makes me want to be stronger so I can help you. Like that time back in the desert with that giant boar-transformed guy who was attacking you. You have no idea how much the sight of you bleeding and the sound of you screaming out in agony affected me… And I couldn't even help you…"

Grimmjow smirked confidently, "I'm a stronger man now, and was clearly strong enough then to make it through that.  _You_  don't have to worry about me, damsel. If anything, worry about your own skin before it gets torn off. And as for me sleeping with other people, well, you should realize by now-"

"Don't do it anymore."

"What?" Grimmjow heard what Ichigo said. He was just a bit shocked to be given an order like that. Something was certainly strange about Kurosaki tonight.

"I'm asking you to stop that. I realize it's in your nature, but… I don't want you to be with anyone else."

"Heh, jealous, are you?"

Ichigo closed his eyes and tried breathing regularly, as his lungs intake and discharge was unsteadily quick. His heartbeat was almost out of control. "Apart from all of your bad qualities, you've got really… interesting ones as well. Surprisingly, you're protective of me for some reason; even though I can take care of myself. You're actually kind of funny on occasion too. And you are nice to just hang around… you know, when you're not being a psychopathic sociopath."

"Where are you going with this?"

Ichigo sighed. Erratic heartbeat and breathing aside, he simply smiled under the moonlight. "I guess what I'm trying to tell you… is that I've got feelings for you." he said, and then felt as though the weight of the universe had finally been lifted from his shoulders.

Flashback

" _Ichigo, listen to me…" Nel began demandingly as she turned to look out at the horizon. "You shouldn't sit idly by and twiddle your thumbs_ hoping _that someone will just fall in love with you. That's just stupid!"_

" _Well it's not like I don't want to say anything! It's just… Grimmjow has told me that he doesn't want that kind of thing. I doubt he even knows what it means to be in love… or to have someone be in love with him." Ichigo replied solemnly. It wasn't even like he fully understood it, either. It was especially more confusing since this was another man they were talking about._

" _You can't expect someone to change or even understand something if they don't even know what it is! People who don't understand something couldn't ever understand it if they aren't confronted with it. That's how we learn—from coming face-to-face with things we don't know. You have to make him understand what love is if you want him to ever give it. I know you of all people, even though you're an awkward man when it comes to things like that, can do it, Ichigo."_

_Ichigo's eyes grew a bit wide, and they changed from solemn bleakness to something much more… hopeful thanks to her words._

" _Anyway, you do what you will. It's your love life to do with as you please. In the end, you'll live the way you feel is best, I guess." She finished._

End Flashback

"Feelings?" Grimmjow nearly laughed.

"Yes, and I'm serious…" Ichigo blushed deeper than he ever had from pure embarrassment. "Don't laugh."

"For  _me_?"

"That's what I said, isn't it?"

"Heheh! Kurosaki, why would you want to spend your time pining after someone who wants to kill you? It doesn't make sense!"

"Because I…" Ichigo felt himself nearly spitting out his internal organs from this, "I  _love_  you… And love never truly makes sense. It just  _is_. All that I do understand is you mean a lot to me. I enjoy your time when you spend it with me. I wanna protect you from your enemies so you don't have to scream or cry ever again… I brought you with me on this journey for a partially selfish reason, but I still care about what it is you want." he said as he looked into those blue eyes that were faintly glowing. "And will you knock it off with the killing crap? I get it…"

Grimmjow closed his eyes and grinned. "You're batshit crazy-" he said, but was cut off when Ichigo leaned forward and connected their lips.

Ichigo forced Grimmjow down onto the sand and kept their lips together as if an earthquake itself couldn't tear them apart. He brought his hands up and pressed one to the man's cheek and the other against his skeletal mask. He wanted all of Grimmjow. All that he could possibly have. Even despite having been belittled and practically laughed at for his feelings.

"Kiss me back…" he said as he pulled away the tiniest bit. "I won't accept you pushing me away. Not anymore."

"So your little confession gave you some balls, huh?"

"Don't be stupid. We  _both_  know I've  _always_  had those."

Giving in with a sigh, Grimmjow did not fight Ichigo when he enclosed the space between their lips. Nor did he just sit still and take it when he felt a tongue prodding at his lips. If this was what Ichigo wanted, he'd get it and then some.

Ichigo had to pull away when he felt Grimmjow practically shove his tongue down his throat. It was so unexpected that he gagged a bit. After coughing and avoiding making eye contact, he hid his eyes under his bangs and sighed. "It's impossible with you…" he breathed out, yet not in a sense that he was angry. It was more like he was simply verbally acknowledging one of the many issues falling for this man brought upon him.

"Isn't that what you wanted?" Grimmjow grinned.

"Ass…" Ichigo said as he met those lowly glowing eyes again. Seemingly of its own volition, his body moved forward and their lips touched again.

Grimmjow was surprised when, instead of how things usually went, Ichigo gently forced him onto the ground. Curiosity perked, he refrained from reasserting his dominance.

Ichigo moved from kissing Grimmjow's wonderful lips to kissing his cheek, then his skeletal mask, and he eventually worked his way to his neck. His hand, however, was on a much bolder journey. Without hesitation, he ran his fingers along the powerful chest and abdomen until he reached the hem on Grimmjow's shorts. One-by-one, he let his fingers creep past the cloth barrier and slide down past what was normally what he felt pumping inside him. What he sought this time was much more… different.

Eyes closed and his fingertips being his visual guides, he used the longest one to slide between Grimmjow's firm ass cheeks until it found the tight, hot hole he'd been gunning for.

When he felt that, Grimmjow reached down to stop Ichigo, but his arm was stopped by the man's other hand.

"Don't stop me… Because I've… always wondered what this would be like."

"Well keep wondering."

"Grimm, just once. Let me… be the one…"

Grimmjow closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. He did not enjoy the idea of being dominated. Nor did he like the idea that it was Kurosaki doing it. He was such a perfect little bottom that the image of him being the top was just ridiculous enough to laugh at. However, better it be him than anyone else... No one had ever pushed Grimmjow to the point where he would even  _consider_  letting them make him their fuck toy. At least Kurosaki was someone he regarded as powerful. Even so… "Kurosaki, you'd best believe you're only getting that when I'm defeated beneath you." he said.

"I already know how to beat you." Ichigo smiled, bringing his hand up from his newfound point of interest to the hole in the Arrancar's abdomen.

Grimmjow immediately started thrashing about underneath Ichigo, but it did not grant him the freedom he sought. Even though he was much lighter than Grimmjow, Kurosaki was using his weight and cunning against him to win. "Get your hand outta there!"

"Say I can do it." Ichigo breathed out.

"You little… Rrgh… ugh! FINE! Get it over with!" Grimmjow growled and closed his eyes. Arrancar holes were quite an inconveniene.

Normally, Ichigo wouldn't have forced someone to do something they didn't want to do.  _Normally_. In this case, it was different. Given their history together, Grimmjow was the exception to that rule, and many others. If he could do this to Ichigo when he had no real way to fight him off, then Ichigo could do this now when the scale of power between them was even.

Not to mention Grimmjow looked so damned sexy lying on the ground beneath him.

Without skipping a beat, Ichigo coated his fingers with an excessive amount of saliva and glided them across the Arrancar's warm skin, passing over the soft pubic hairs along the way until they reached their goal. His eyelids seemed to grow many times heavier at the sight of Grimmjow closing his eyes when he eased his fingers inside that warm, tight hole.

"Grimm…" he exhaled, moving forward to kiss Grimmjow's ear. "Relax for me. Just me. You can trust me no matter what." He told him sincerely. He intended to be there for Grimmjow—be the one person he could turn to, always. It also helped to have something nice like that to whisper into his ear in an effort to make him feel more at ease.

"Just do what you gotta do. This ain't ever happening again." Grimmjow replied, and then pulled his shorts completely down.

Although rushed, Ichigo still managed to enjoy this moment. The face immediately beside his was a new one he hadn't exactly seen before. Grimmjow looked… different, somehow. Something about him was vulnerable and... nervous?

"I love you." he whispered, kissing Grimmjow's ear, then cheek, then skeletal mask in that order. He knew this was difficult for the Arrancar on multiple levels. But even so, this was also the chance of a lifetime. So, a bit eagerly, he slipped his bottoms off and prepared himself—something that he discovered came naturally to him. "Are you ready?" he asked.

Blue eyes quickly squinted, "Before I change my mind-"

Ichigo took his chance and pushed up against Grimmjow. It seemed as if he was being rejected when he tried pushing inside, but he gradually forced his way in.

Grimmjow closed his eyes, gritted his teeth, and threw his head back. Why had he agreed to this? Why had he allowed for such a change in roles, even just this once? Why for Kurosaki? It didn't make sense. But then again, nothing concerning Kurosaki made sense…

With the tightness of his lover's body surrounding him, Ichigo felt a pleasure he'd never known before. And, just like all the times before, he felt a need to be close to his lover. So he went in until he was buried deep, then wrapped his arms around Grimmjow's neck tightly, burying his nose against it and smelling the manly scent he put off.

Despite his having latched on to Grimmjow, the Arrancar remained physically, and unsurprisingly emotionally distant. His arm was stretched out, and so were his legs.

"Grimm, I'm going now." Ichigo said as he did just that.

The feelings were on another level. The rush pumping his blood, the warmth emanating from inside his body also from Grimmjow's, and the idea that it was  _Grimmjow_  lying beneath him taking this almost entirely of his own choice was enough to almost force him up to the pleasurable, mountainous peak. But before he could finish, he reached down in between their bodies and took Grimmjow's dick into his hand, stroking it until it was fully erect and throbbing.

"Grimm, before I… before  _we_  finish, I want you to fuck me."

Grimmjow's eyes opened wide, "What was the point of this, then?!" he growled.

"I wanted…" Ichigo panted, feeling a bead of sweat roll down his face and drip from his nose, "I wanted to know what it felt like for you. And I wanted to maybe give you pleasure the way you give it to me." He continued, closing his eyes and pulling out of Grimmjow's hole.

"No need to tell me twice!" the larger man said, quickly changing their position so he was holding Ichigo cheek-down against the sand. When he saw Ichigo turn and look over his shoulder so their eyes met, he froze. For whatever reason, being forceful and practically abusive to someone who claimed to care about him didn't seem right. Still, he knew Kurosaki could put a stop to this if he wanted. Lying on the ground like this was probably getting him off.

Ichigo smirked, "You're so rough." He said.

"Need me to bitch it up and go easy? This body of yours seems oddly frail tonight."

"I don't need you to go easy on me. Not now… not ever."

That thing. That defiance! That insistence that he could keep up! That attitude! That was what turned Grimmjow on! That was the reason he was with this man and not chasing a woman around!

Returning that grin he was just given, Grimmjow didn't even bother lubing up. He would teach Kurosaki a lesson about falling for him he wouldn't soon forget.

"Aaguh!" Ichigo cried out, gritting his teeth at the sudden, dry intrusion into his rear end.

Grimmjow laid down on top of Ichigo as he started fucking him intensely and put his lips right up against his ear. "You love me?"

Ichigo's heart jumped and he closed his eyes. Using his arms to sit up a bit, he looked down and let it out, "Yes! I… I love you!"

"Pretty… strange… considering all that I've… done to you…!" Grimmjow said between violent thrusts.

"I can forgive you… for all of it! Just don't… Don't leave…"

Blue eyes moved to the sand below, then out to the ocean. Grimmjow could offer no response to that. His goals did not include Kurosaki. Having grown somewhat conscious of these feelings being thrown his way, he couldn't simply say he would leave. Nor could he lie and say they would stay together when he got what he wanted.

The feeling of Kurosaki's heartbeat through his back was surprisingly welcoming. He reached up and ran his hand up the smaller man's stomach until he got up to his chest. If he wanted, he could have ended Kurosaki here and now with a Cero by ridding him of the metaphorical source of this  _love_  he felt for him. But that wouldn't be any fun. Not to mention such an underhanded and cowardly move wasn't the way he wanted to rid himself of this orange-haired nuisance.

For now, he simply acknowledged these feelings. There was no ignoring it now. Kurosaki was sure to bring it up again, after all.

"Grimmjow, I'm…" Ichigo fell forward as he came in the sand, feeling wave after wave of uninhibited pleasure wash over him.

"Heh, not bad…" Grimmjow said as he came as well, referring to the feeling of Ichigo's ass tightening around him. He fell forward, completely spent and exhausted, breathing deeply as he continued to feel the heartbeat of the man who claimed to love him against his hand.

Ichigo turned and kissed Grimmjow's skeletal mask, then closed his eyes. The feeling of that warm liquid became quite known to him as it tried escaping past Grimmjow's soft member.

"Kurosaki…"

"Huh?"

Grimmjow closed his eyes and smirked, "I've come to think of you as… a crazy not enemy of mine. And, since you asked… a long time ago… I don't hate you... anymore." He said.

"I'm glad to hear that." Ichigo replied with a smile full of relief.

Just as he felt at ease, the heavy booming of exuberant fireworks over the sea shook him and Grimmjow out of their private and unexpectedly intimate night. With the time they were allotted, the dazzling, colorful fireworks momentarily stained the ocean and all their surroundings, marking the end of a magical night of passion and celebration on the island.

Surprisingly, this was honestly one of the most romantic nights Ichigo had spent with Grimmjow. But, even though he was feeling many amazing and incandescent things, both physically and emotionally, he didn't feel that his Reiatsu was undergoing a slight metamorphosis.


	56. escape from paradise

Morning light gently flushed its way across the horizon, greeting everything in its glorious path—the glistening sea, the low-hanging palm trees, and the majestic green forest alike. The two men sleeping soundly under the inconspicuous cover of the trees on the beach were no exception. Across both their already sun-kissed skins it ran, as both of them were as bare as the day they were born, until the shadows cast by the trees halted its advance.

Dark brown eyelashes parted to give way to the auburn eyes below, and Ichigo found a gentle sleeping face lying a few inches away from his own. If time were a merciful mistress, he could very well have stayed in that very spot and stared at the handsome face of the Arrancar named Grimmjow for hours on end. However, time was not on his side and he was also no longer under this island's spell. He could linger here no longer.

Reaching out, he ran his hand up Grimmjow's back as tenderly as he could, "Hey, you need to wake up. We've got things to do, and this journey isn't over yet." Grimmjow swatted the hand away. "Grimmjow, you don't want me to leave you here on this island, do you? You know, an  _island_."

Grimmjow's electric eyes shot open, quick as they were bright. Not that he couldn't find another way off this island… he just didn't want to do it alone. The trip here had been bad enough…

Ichigo retracted his hand and yawned. He pushed himself off the ground and flipped over so he was sitting on his buttocks. Almost immediately, he started thinking about last night… "Grimm." he began almost hesitantly.

"What?" the Arrancar replied as he turned over so his back was to Ichigo.

"Well… ah… never mind." There was no need to readdress what was now out in the open. Not now, anyway. "I'm gonna head back to the hotel to try finding the people who've been going missing. Guess I'll need that crystal from Kon… But you should keep your guard up for any signs of trouble." Ichigo picked up his clothes and stood up to start dressing himself, sliding his shorts a little too far up as he stepped into them. "If either of us runs into Nel or Pantera, it'd be a good idea to stick together. We're all leaving this place together, anyway."

"Sounds like you've got this all figured out. And I can't even begin to say how stoked I am about having my freedom again. No more of you following me like a lost puppy."

"Shut. Up. The reason I did that was… ugh. Forget it." Ichigo finished buttoning his shirt, then started for the hotel, "See you later. And don't get swept away by the tides!" he said with a grin.

"Don't even joke about that!" Grimmjow growled, throwing sand in Ichigo's direction.

* * *

The only way Kon found he could avoid being seen by any of the island dwellers was by staying in Ichigo's room. A boring, terrible idea in hindsight, but this was where Ichigo would return, so this was where he needed to be. Last night before coming here, he found Nel and returned her memories to her, earning a sincere thank you in the process. She told him not to wander too far because they would not stay here much longer.

So here he was, sitting on the couch in the living room area.

"What am I supposed to do?! This is sooooo boriiiiiing!" he yelled, scratching his head and tossing about on the couch like a child throwing a terrible tantrum.

When he heard a door creak as it opened, he jumped up and looked over the back of the couch.

A bird walked out of the bedroom, looking around the main room a bit cautiously. "Where…?"

"Hey! Who are you!?" Kon shouted.

The bird jumped, falling forward on his beak in the carpet.

"Hello?!" a familiar voice called from the hallway before a knocking came at the door.

Kon whipped around and smiled, "My sweet!"

Nel turned the knob and pushed the door, sticking her head into the room. "Hey, what are you doing here?" she asked after noticing the plushie on the couch.

"Nel! I missed you!"

"Is Ichigo here?"

"Ichigo?!" Chile said, doing his best to hurry to where he could be seen in the center of the room. "Where?!"

Nel smiled and rushed into the room to pick the bird up. "Oh! You're that spirit animal of his! You are soooo cute! Oooh I could snuggle you all day!"

Chile struggled to get free, managing to get one of his talons out, but Nel wasn't about to let him go so easily. "Let go, lady!"

With a grin, Nel walked over to the couch and let Chile down onto it beside Kon. "So, guess we should get ready to go? All we're missing is Ichigo, Pantera, and Grimmjow."

"Shouldn't we wait here?" Kon asked. "If Ichigo is planning to leave, we should be somewhere he can find us."

Chile sighed. Looking down at his flameless, bright golden feathers, he wondered if he could take to the sky and find Ichigo. Maybe he'd be lucky enough to take flight on the first try. Waiting here wasn't the most promising of options. Why had he left anyway? "I want to go find him."

His sudden statement surprised the other two, making them look at him questionably. For such a youngling, he was insistent and not timid in the least. "Well, it's two against three. Let's get outta here!" Nel said with a beaming smile.

"You guys are  _serious_!?"

"Of course! Besides, sitting around twiddling our thumbs isn't going to solve anything! He may even need our help."

"Fine!" Kon conceded, then hopped off the couch and walked over to the door. "Guess we gotta find that giant kitty cat first, huh?"

"Kitty cat?" Chile echoed a bit nervously.

"Never mind him, Chile. You'll be fine. We're all a big family here." The gypsy sincerely assured. "Now c'mon, both of you. We've wasted enough time already!"

* * *

For Ichigo, walking into the hotel and finding a crowd of party goers was a bit interesting. Half of them seemed to be passed out while the other half enjoyed conversations coupled with drinks. This kind of thing was a good experience, but he knew for sure this was the last way he'd want to spend his time. For him, when done in rapid succession, celebration lost its effectiveness. Perhaps the fact that he was the one who actually worked on this and didn't get to fully enjoy it factored in…

Still, his night with Grimmjow had been rather enjoyable so he wasn't really that upset over it.

Regardless, at the moment, he was in need of some information. So he walked over to the nearest woman sitting alone at a table with a drink in her hand and a book almost to her nose. He touched the empty chair across from her before speaking. "Mind if I take this seat?" he asked.

The woman's emerald eyes left the page they were enchanted by and met his. "Not at all." Her dark hair and fair skin were quite the accents to those eyes of hers. Or, maybe it was the other way around...

Ichigo sat down and leaned on his forearms. "So are you enjoying the festivities?"

"A little. The last one was a bit more interesting." She replied after taking note of his uniform.

"Is that so?"

"It is."

"Can I ask you something? A bit personal…?"

"Hmph. I suppose. Normally I'd shoo the working class away, but you've got a handsome face. What would you like to know?" She was a tad arrogant behind that gorgeous face.

"Where did you come from?"

"What? What a foolish thing to ask. Like everyone here, I came from this island."

"How did you get to be an aristocrat?"

"My parents, of course. They worked themselves into a share of this establishment. And that is all you need to know, sir. If you'd like to rise to the top, I suggest you save your earnings and do the same."

"Oh, I won't be here for long." Ichigo smiled.

"Leaving? You'll die out in the wilderness."

"I think I'll be okay. Anyway, so… Who are the people who do work for this hotel? Like the firewood gatherers, the hunters, the electricians, maintenance-"

"All people who have no recollection of their homes. Sir Matrid generously offers them employment to keep them away from the beasts of the forest and the dangerous tides of the ocean. If I'm speaking honestly, you certainly ask strange questions. As someone who works here, you should already know the system inside and out, no?"

Ichigo nodded in agreeance. "Well, I'll have to excuse myself. Enjoy the rest of your time during the celebration. Hopefully it lives up to  _your_  expectations."

"I should hope so as well. Now off you go. I was enjoying my book and people watching before you interrupted me with this barrage of foolish questions."

Rolling his eyes and sighing, Ichigo got up and went on his way. The sooner he was away from that woman the better.

"Hey old man." He called out to Zangetsu.

" _Yes?"_

"What is with these people? I mean, none of them seem to realize there's a world outside this island chain."

" _You weren't so dissimilar a little while ago. Consider what you did after arriving on this island. Think back to everything you did, and try relating it to these people. That may give you your answer."_

"I already tried that. Nothing is really coming to me, though. What do we all have in common…?"

This was awfully strange. The only thing he could think of that everyone experienced was the water. It was everywhere. Anyone from Kenjou's town had to have come into contact with it somehow. Shipwrecks or even walking the supposed path were prime examples of water exposure. But that didn't offer any insight about why that woman he just spoke to seemed unaware of Earthia's supercontinent… And she said her parents worked their way into shares of the hotel. So did her parents wreck and then fall for the idea that this hotel was the only place suitable for sustaining human life? Who knew how many generations had passed and let that idea become normal…

Something else wasn't adding up. If it was the water that gave the illusion of death beyond the sea, then why didn't the water crystal react to it? And wouldn't Mizumi have mentioned it if the water was somehow capable of doing that in the first place?

"Come to think of it…" he said as he looked around, "Many of these people are drinking. Grimmjow was acting strangely after he drank that alcohol… So is it that that's causing this?"

That explained why he also lost his memory of the outside world after sharing Grimmjow's drink. Still, there were kids here who obviously couldn't drink.

Zangetsu interrupted his train of thought,  _"Do you remember what was told to you when you first arrived?"_  he asked.

"Well… not to eat the passion fruit. But I took that as a hallucination."

" _Perhaps all the food and drinks are somehow causing this memory loss. Perhaps the island's fruit is used in making many of the foods and drinks._ "

"That's a good hypothesis. Even though we have the crystal, I don't exactly want to test it on anyone." Ichigo said as he looked around at all the people, each one of them presumably under this island's spell. How would he set them all free and return them to their homes, anyway?

"Ichigo!"

The sound of Nel calling out to him jerked him from his train of thought and he turned to see her coming his way. Kon, Chile, and Pantera were at her heels, the biggest of them looking alert and wary.

"OH MY GOD!" someone shrieked, drawing attention to them. "THE HOTEL'S BEEN INVADED BY ISLAND CREATURES!" This outburst caused immediate, unadulterated panic, and even the people who had passed out were beginning to wake up because of the noise.

Nel grinned when she got to Ichigo, "Well, is this where we run for it?" she asked.

"No." the orange-head replied, then turned his attention to the people scurrying away, "Everyone, calm down! This is… a performance! This panther is trained!" he told them. It put a few at ease and the chaos seemed to dissipate after a little while. "Kon, come here."

"What? I don't wanna be involved in anything you have plan-"

Ichigo snatched him up off the floor and held him in the air, "Before we begin, I'd like everyone to take a look at this toy!" When everyone complied and looked at Kon, it grew incredibly, awkwardly silent. "Kon, take out the crystal for the love of God!" he whispered.

"OH! I see where you're going with this!" the plushie nodded, reaching into his mouth and pulling the crystal from it. The second it saw the light of day it started glowing. The room itself seemed to turn red from the intensity.

All at once, many, many bright auras shot out from it, then spun their way to the high ceiling to dance around the chandelier.

"So all these people were under this strange spell?" Nel asked.

"Looks like it. And the food and drinks are what caused that. But now I-"

"Let me do the honors!" Kon interrupted. After clearing his throat, he waved the crystal in a circle. "I set you all free of this spell! Remember where you came from!" he declared. All at once, the auras ripped their way down to their respective owners, some flying through walls to reach those who were not present in the lobby. Although some of the younger guests were untouched by them, this still reignited the panic that had just been quelled.

"Everyone, stop eating and drinking!" Nel told them.

"Stop? How will we survive without it!?" a man asked, earning agreeable shouts from other residents.

"Look, do you want to go back home or live here for the rest of your lives?! Don't you have people waiting for you on the mainland?!" Ichigo interjected, and then put Kon down on the floor.

Hesitation ensued. Confusion accompanied it. But the end result was wary agreeance. Mumblings about old families and friends started filling the room. Even Matrid, who had originally showed up to stop Ichigo from interrupting the festival, started reminiscing about his long lost fiancé and pets.

"It's probably time for us to leave this place, Ichigo." Pantera said.

"Yeah. Let's try to convince these people to do the same."

* * *

With his toes in the sand, Grimmjow sat on the beach a good distance away from the advancing and receding tides. For the majority of his time alone, he'd been thinking about all the things that were taken from his memory. It was strange how easily he'd forgotten Las Noches—his home. Not to mention the list of people he was ready to bury upon his return.

On a different note, he was unintentionally stationary because, to his dismay, his rear end was aching. He realized now that he never should've let Kurosaki do what he did last night. It was a bad idea from the start and now he was definitely paying for it.

"Excuse me." Someone called, making Grimmjow turn his attention to them. They'd approached from behind without him even detecting their presence. It was enough to make him feel on edge. Nobody moved like that but Aizen and Espada. This person was strange for sure. What was weirdest about this masked freak was that he was standing with his hands behind his back and looking out to the sea.

"And just who the hell are you?" Grimmjow asked as he felt the hairs on his neck rise up. The scent of danger thickened the air, but this time it wasn't his doing.

A light gust of wind blew from the forest, carrying cherry blossom petals and leaving them on the golden sand in its wake. "Would you mind telling me where I can find the island's crystal?" Senbonzakura asked. "It seems to have gone missing."

* * *

"What a shame nobody wanted to leave that hotel." Kon said with a lack of care as he followed after the others on their way through the forest heading towards the beach. The day was surprisingly quite nice and he hoped he could enjoy it.

"It wasn't  _you_  who gave his word to someone about saving those people…" Ichigo said, looking a bit depressed.

Pantera's watchful eye picked up on that, but he also felt the genuine depression emanating from Ichigo's Reiatsu. He truly was a kind-natured human. Since Grimmjow had spent so much time around him, one could only hope that kind nature rubbed off on him.

"Cheer up, Ichigo." Nel said as she walked alongside him. "We can still let your friend know where his missing people are."

"Yeah…"

Looking down to the ball of feathers curled up in her arms, she continued. "Coming here seems to have done more good than bad. Think of it that way and you won't feel so depressed." She continued with a smile.

Kon decided to speak more on the matter. "Maybe they all thought it was safer staying there than leaving. I mean, they are all under the impression that horrible creatures live on this island… not to mention those freaks who guard the crystal. That'd be enough to scare-"

"What the hell is that!?" Ichigo shouted, then hurried down the path that led to the beach.

"W-wait for us!" Nel said, rushing after him with Pantera at her side.

"You guys are all so inconsiderate!" Kon cried out, desperately hanging on to the panther's flopping tail. Had he not grabbed it, he'd have surely been left behind.

A wall of incandescent cherry blossoms was erected at the end of the trail, and Ichigo already knew what it meant. "Grimmjow!" he called when he reached it.

"So you've come." Senbonzakura's voice came from the other side of the wall. And no sooner did the cherry blossoms dissipate into thin air, revealing him and Grimmjow.

"You alright?" Ichigo asked, ignoring Senbonzakura altogether.

"Like I need you to save me." Grimmjow scoffed, rolling his eyes. His words starkly contrasting his scarred appearance. There were cuts and gashes all over him, though they didn't look serious. Had Senbonzakura been pressuring him for information? If that were true, looks like Grimmjow didn't crack.

That defiant look on his face gave it away that that's exactly what happened.

"You idiot…"

"Where is the crystal?" Senbonzakura demanded. "I went easy on this one because I realized he probably didn't know exactly where it was. Still, he is an accomplice of yours, so I couldn't  _not_  try getting information from him. You, on the other hand… and that little toy back there probably do."

"Ichigo!" Nel shouted as she ran through the sand to reach him. When he turned to see what it was she wanted, he found himself tackled to the ground and sliding through the sand.

A scorching ball of fire slammed into the ground, searing every grain of sand in its reach.

Ichigo looked around to see where it had come from. Senbonzakura wasn't capable of fire attacks, he knew that well from the times he'd seen Byakuya fight.

"I say we just eradicate the lot of them. The crystal will remain intact." A girl said as she came their way from the opposite end of the forest. Despite her threatening words, she had the appearance of a pretty young woman.

"Was it wise to leave the temple?" Senbonzakura asked.

"Yes! This is important!" Tobiume snipped.

Pantera wasted no time in getting to Grimmjow's side. If he'd learned anything from the time he'd met Ichigo to now, it was that he needed to stand and be ready to aid his master.

Tobiume's dark brown eyes moved from one culprit to the next as she came up beside her taller partner. "Since they're all together in one place, let's take them out now. You know we can't simply let the crystal wander off the island."

"Stop it!" Chile interrupted, bursting free from Nel's protective arms.

"Hey, you almost burned me!" the gypsy said.

"I won't let you hurt Ichigo!"

Grimmjow's electric eyes widened at the sight of those bright, paradise-colored flames. So it was true that the chicken was actually a phoenix.

For Ichigo, he was more shocked that Chile was suspended in the air without flying. It seemed phoenixes didn't comply with the rules set by normal creatures of the avian variety.

"You." Senbonzakura said, aiming his hand at Chile. "You are the offspring of that phoenix I got rid of not too long ago."

Chile's eyes went wide and immediately spilled over with tears. Ichigo felt his pain and clenched his fists. "Chile, don't fight him! We can handle it!"

"No! If mother died by his hand, you will too! I can be reborn if I die here!" the fledgling responded.

"Enough of this! Get rid of them all!" Tobiume interrupted. "We'll seal you so you won't be able to be reborn!"

As soon as the cherry blossoms began surrounding them, Chile turned to the others. "Everyone get together and maintain contact with each other! I can save you!"

"Oh no you don't!" By Tobiume's command, a rain of fireballs gathered in the sky, dyeing it red, and started falling towards them.

Kon quickly hopped onto Nel, holding on for dear life, and Nel reached out and touched Ichigo's shoulder. "Grimmjow, come here!" Ichigo ordered.

Grimmjow squinted, but used a Sonído to get himself and Pantera behind Ichigo. After leaning on the shorter man, he lifted his hand and charged a Cero, pointing it at Senbonzakura. "TAKE THIS!" he shouted as it fired.

Chile tore through the air and touched the huddle of people he so wanted to save. As Tobiume's fireballs hit the ground and Senbonzakura's thousand cherry blossoms enclosed the area surrounding the group, a brilliantly glowing light seeped through the attacks.

"Did we… did we get them?" Tobiume asked as the smoke clouded her vision.

"It appears that… we have failed to stop the intruders. They have escaped." Senbonzakura concluded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *sigh* Being a senior isn't easy with all these contemporary artists readings and proposals I have to do and I apologize that it has weighed in on this story's reliable updates. If I can't make every two weeks, I'll definitely shoot for no more than a month apart.


	57. tribal indulgence

At first glance, anyone in the High Palace-seekers would've been inclined to think they had only moved through space to a different, much safer part of the island chain; somewhere in the forest, particularly. That was at first glance, of course. However, something about the trees here looked oddly distinct. Upon closer inspection, they were all much taller and thinner than the ones on the island. Plus, there were small streaks of red trailing up the length of their barks.

Ichigo's eyes were glued to the darkened canopy that was heavily spotted with sunlight, noting it would take a very long time to reach it by climbing without use of Reiatsu.

"Damn it…" Grimmjow grunted as he stood up and slammed his hand against one of the trees. "I didn't hit him… After all that bastard did to me and I didn't even manage to… urgh!"

"What in the world are you complaining about?" Nel asked as she stood up as well.

"He fired an attack at that cherry blossom freak, but apparently it didn't hit!" Kon teased. The resulting death-gaze that was thrown his way from the bluenette made him quickly retreat behind the closest person to him.

Ichigo sighed in irritation. "Don't poke the bear, idiot." He stated quite simply, knowing this from experience, then encouraged the bothersome Kon to move away from him by swatting at him. He stood up and immediately felt the need to say something to Grimmjow—primarily about all the bleeding gashes that covered his body from head to toe—but he knew he would be brushed off if he did. Perhaps he would address it later when the brave face Grimmjow was wearing for the others wouldn't be so hard to bring down.

"Let's see now…" Nel began, turning and looking at everyone, "We've got Grumpy, Strawberry, Plushy, Furry, Chicky and me. It looks like we're all here!" she said, her headcount naming scheme not really faring too well with the others. "You look pretty hurt." She told Grimmjow as a side note.

"This is nothing. Leave me alone."

"Excuse  _me_  for worrying…"

"Chile, you teleported us, didn't you?" Ichigo asked, changing the subject because things were heating up between Nel and Grimmjow. The last thing they all needed after only just having met up again was tension in the group.

"Yes…" Chile said, breathing the tiniest bit heavily. "I don't know how, but I did. I didn't even know if I could do it, really… Sorry for seeming so sure I could."

"It's okay." The orange-head said with a reassuring smile. "You stopped is from being involved in a crazy battle."

"It's not o-fucking-kay! We ran away like beaten dogs with our tails between our legs." Grimmjow snapped angrily.

"Would you rather have stayed and wasted more time?" Ichigo asked. "Aren't you in a hurry to get your arm back?" His questions earned a grunt from Grimmjow and nothing more.

"Poor thing." Nel said soothingly, walking over to Chile. "You look exhausted. I'll carry you."

"Hey, so do you know where you teleported us to?" Ichigo continued as Nel picked the exhausted fledgling up.

"In the instant I had you all in the spatial transport realm, I read what was in your mind, Ichigo. I saw that you're seeking the sacred crystals of this world, so I brought us here to this place. It's the place where the volcano crystal will be."

There was a brief silence among everyone, but Ichigo broke it. "You can do that? You're amazing!" he said happily.

"R—really?"

"Yeah! For sure! Thank you for saving us."

While most everyone in the group started praising Chile for his efforts, Grimmjow's ear twitched. He'd heard a sound coming from the forest. He sniffed the air and grew suspicious immediately. "You fools! Look out!" he hollered.

A few spheres fell around them, then immediately released a smoke that filled the air to make a screen.

Ichigo rushed over to Nel and drew his sword, holding it up to protect her if necessary, but couldn't help coughing like the others from the overwhelming smoke that was filling the area. Kon hurried over to them, then looked around to see what was happening. He was fine since he didn't have a need to breathe.

"Idiots…" Grimmjow spat from a high spot up in a tree. Of course, his sword was also drawn. As his glowing eyes looked across the way, he smirked as he saw Pantera up in a tree.  _"Good."_  He thought. At least he could depend on one of them to be competent and aware of their surroundings.

"Who's there?!" Ichigo shouted, looking around through squinted eyes because of the overwhelming smoke.

"Drop your weapons!" someone replied. The sound of multiple heavy footsteps echoed in the surrounding area. "We have you surrounded!"

Gradually, the smoke started clearing, revealing that the stranger's words were true. At least twenty of them were standing around the group, each holding various weapons that were aimed at them.

"WE'LL NEVER SURRENDER!" Kon shouted, "Tell these guys what's up, Ichigo!"

Ichigo gritted his teeth. "You're not making this ANY BETTER!"

"We said drop your weapons!"

"Can't we talk this out?! We mean no harm!" Nel declared, ready to pull her Zanpakutō out from its hiding place.

"We don't have time to play around with outsiders! It'd be better if we just killed you here!"

"Hey Onda, we didn't do that to the girl from Seireitei… She's actually helping us." Another voice said.

"Sh—shut up, Denma!"

"Girl from Seireitei?" Ichigo repeated curiously.

In the warm-lit forest, once the smoke was completely cleared, the figures became visible. They were all about the same age as Ichigo was, give or take. Also, they were much more dark-skinned and wearing very tribal clothes. Onda—the loudest one barking the orders—was only wearing a grass skirt and cloth shoes. Denma—the one who seemed to be more reasonable—was wearing similar attire with tight but thick, brown leggings. All of these soldiers had black, thick, hair that was styled differently from person to person. Denma's was just shy of shoulder-length and thickly braided along the sides, flowing to the back of his head. Onda's was shaved along the side and what was at the top was spiked and flowing towards the back.

"Chief said we shouldn't be killing while the soldiers are away. Let's take them back and put them in holding."

"You are such a coward… We're not weak and defenseless just because we're younger than they are!" Onda replied, looking away. "Fine, we'll take them to the village…"

Ichigo lowered his sword and sheathed it, then looked up to Grimmjow to silently tell him to do the same. Thankfully, Grimmjow seemed to be in a compliant mood because he followed the example... reluctantly.

"Excuse me! We're not  _captives_ , are we?" Nel asked.

"Quiet!" Onda ordered, then started on his way through the forest.

"Ugh, what an overbearing man…" she mumbled.

Denma turned to them and spoke, "Come with us and don't make any sudden movements. We won't kill you if you cooperate." he told them.

Grimmjow jumped to the ground, followed by his reliable spirit animal. "Kurosaki, if this goes tits up, I'm holding you responsible." He said after getting a bit close to Ichigo.

"Why would I expect anything else?" the orange-head asked as he started following the leader of this tribal group.

"Is it just me, or is there something between those two?" Nel asked Ichigo as she caught up with him.

"Huh? What are you talking about…?"

"Never mind…"

* * *

Majestically integrated with the tall forest, the village of the young tribesmen seemed quite diverse in layout. Some of the village was carefully placed high up in the trees near their reddening leaves at their tops, while the other part of it existed right up against the end of the forest on the heavily inclined ground. Zip lines were eloquently laced about in the buildings up in the trees, and some of them led down to the ones on the ground. The buildings were all cube-like and intruding on one another, made from the earth itself.

As the group laid eyes on the horizon, astonishingly enough, there was a massive volcano spanning half of it to the left. It seemed a good distance from the village, and was separated by a large body of water at the bottom of the large hill. Though, there was a land path that wrapped around in a crescent which jointed this part of the land to it. It was possibly a hazard should the volcano ever erupt.

"Take them to confinement." Onda said to one of his followers.

"Alright. And where are you going?" the man responded.

"To check on that woman and make sure she hasn't hurt Sungah."

"I'll go, too." Denma insisted.

"You don't have to."

"It's fine. I want to see her research. It could save our village!"

"Hey, let me go with you!" Ichigo said. Someone from Seireitei was here doing research? He had to find out who it was and what kind of research they were doing. There was no way he could simply ignore this important tidbit of information, though he knew he should be cautious around whoever it was because of the way he left Seireitei… but more importantly because of the man who escaped execution with whom he was here with…

"Absolutely no way! You're going with your buddies to confinement!" Onda snarled.

"I'm under no obligation to follow your orders. Let me speak with your leader."

Onda squinted and reached for the knife at his side. "How  _dare_  you-"

"Onda, what is this?" an older woman with dark gray hair asked gingerly, coming their way from the part of the village close to the shore. Her clothing consisted of a large, long robe that had symbols on it, many of which could be seen on the buildings here. She was wearing a modest headband with a beautiful feather sticking out from the center of it. Her shoes were the same as the group that brought them here to this place.

"Chief Sayon!? I was just taking care of some outsiders sneaking around the sacred forest! Please don't bother yourself with this! I can handle it!" It was strange seeing this Onda in such an acquiescent state considering how demanding a man he was.

A subtle smile found its way to Denma's face as he gazed at Onda… which did not go unnoticed by some spectators…

"Nonsense. Look at these children. They won't harm our little dwelling." Sayon replied. "From that one with the orange hair, I can sense the same thing I sensed from that girl who said she would assist us in stopping this tragedy. Please, consider that they may even be reinforcements from Seireitei here to help us."

"But-"

"Oh child, you are just like your father was… So wary and suspicious of others... You need to be more open to the world and the many different people in it. You're too young to be acting like a grumpy old man." She said the last part teasingly.

"I… yes… I understand…" Onda said reluctantly. This woman was playing him like a violin, knowing exactly what words to say to get under his skin and make him obey. Perhaps this, this method so similar to calming a wild beast, was why she was the chief.

"Now let's not treat these people like they're a threat. Let them roam freely... It looks like one of them needs medical attention."

All eyes turned to Grimmjow, making him look away in aggravation from the attention. His wounds were not serious at all. He wasn't a child who needed coddling.

Sayon smiled and stepped aside, holding her hand out to the village. "Everyone, enjoy yourselves here. This village is a wonderful place. Keep an open mind to its subtle charms and don't be afraid to mingle with our people. Not everyone is as abrasive as Onda, here."

Both Nel and Ichigo smiled. Kon fell to the ground and started thanking the heavens they weren't going to be killed. Onda, however, put his hands in his pockets and started down to the lower part of the village. Denma apologized for their behavior, and then quickly followed his friend.

"Well, let's rustle up some grub!" Nel insisted as the others from Onda's group began dispersing in town, leaving them to their own devices.

"Yeah, it's been a while since we ate. I am kinda hungry." Ichigo added.

Pantera looked up to Grimmjow, who simply turned and walked in the opposite direction of Onda, going back to the forest that was a great distance away from the open water.

"Where should we go?" Nel asked Ichigo.

"Actually, you'll have to take Kon and find somewhere to eat without me for now. There're some things I need to do, but I'll meet you after I'm finished." The orange-head replied.

"Hmm… well okay. But don't take too long! We need to have some fun! That's what journeys are for, especially with friends!"

"Right. Well, I won't be that long. I promise."

* * *

The trip back up to the part of the village elevated in the trees was a quick one. It was pretty interesting as well. There were a lot of people in the village who welcomingly smiled and greeted Ichigo on his way. The second he got into the forest, he noticed an abrupt change in aura. Not from the people, you see, but from the village itself. Something about it seemed calmer and more subdued. That officious guy, Onda, had mentioned something about this place being sacred. Compared to the hustle and bustle of the shopping, trade, and fishing going on in the lower half of the village, this part was much more relaxing to behold. "Oh! Hey, Grimmjow!" Ichigo called after catching sight of the Arrancar walking in the forest.

"What?" the Arrancar replied over his shoulder.

When he finally caught up to Grimmjow, Ichigo put a stern hand on his shoulder to stop him. "Sit down. I want to treat your injuries."

An annoyed breath escaped Grimmjow's lips. "I'm fine."

"You're not. I can see that a few of them are  _really_  deep."

Rolling his eyes, Grimmjow walked over to a tree and took a seat against it. Ichigo walked over and sat down beside him, pulling the bag he'd been given by Akako's family off his back.

"You didn't have that before we left that island.." Grimmjow observed.

" _I_  didn't. But everything we needed was packed inside Kon. Even the crystals. Nel told me she put everything I was carrying from my room inside him a while ago. I don't know how she managed to make it all fit, but I'm not questioning it. There're a lot of things about Kon that I don't really know. Urahara-san is a deranged scientist, so who knows what kinds of strange methods he comes up with…"

"Convenient…"

"Yeah. But anyway, hold out your arm for me."

When Grimmjow lifted his arm, Ichigo somewhat carefully took it in his hand, told him how it would sting a bit, and then ran a peroxide-covered cotton ball over the cuts on it. Grimmjow closed his eyes and slowly sucked in air through his teeth from the pain. All the while, the sounds of the villagers up in the buildings above echoed gently through the forest coupled with the sounds of birds singing their songs and flapping their wings in the treetops. Even though it wasn't the brightest light, the spotty beams of sunlight creeping through the leaves gave a dark, golden glow to the entire area making it more visible for Ichigo.

"You just couldn't leave it alone…" Grimmjow muttered, breaking the silence that had grown between him and Ichigo.

"Leave what alone?" Ichigo asked, changing to a fresh cotton ball.

After giving a quick smirk and a sigh, Grimmjow replied, "Leave me alone."

At hearing those prickly sharp words, Ichigo paused and stared at him for a second, feeling a bit slighted, and then slowly withdrew his hand. "I wasn't… I was just trying to help you."

Unexpectedly, Grimmjow felt himself growing warm and could feel the guilt starting to well in his gut as if it meant to drag him into himself. He sighed once more quite heavily, irritated at himself for growing so careful of this guy's feelings. "I—I didn't mean it that way. I meant these cuts I got. I was just answering your question, not telling you to leave me alone…" When Ichigo's brown eyes met his light blue ones, he averted his gaze and felt a bit uneasy. Knowing what he recently discovered about Ichigo's feelings made it much more difficult to look him square on. Previously, back at their first meeting, those eyes haunted him for their pure disdain, and he had detested them with ever fiber of his being. Now, things were different. All he could feel in this moment was uncomfortable, fearful even, of what that gaze meant. And even though he'd been given a clear reason, he simply did not understand why such feelings would be directed at  _him_. Nor did he want to.

"Right… This won't take much longer."

"Hey… ah… how are your stomach and leg doing by the way…?" Awkward couldn't begin to describe the way that question left Grimmjow's mouth. He'd even avoided looking at the recipient of said question as he asked it. He wasn't even exactly sure  _why_  he asked—it's not as if he cared or anything—but what was said was said now.

"Wh—you remembered that?" Ichigo almost laughed, "Both of those wounds happened a long time ago. I can't say for sure, but I think you Reiatsu was healing them. They're fine now."

"Creepy." Grimmjow still didn't know exactly how to feel about his Reiatsu being inside Ichigo. What was worse, he couldn't even feel it when he used his Pesquisa to examine him. "That reminds me, you didn't get that shitty doctor to look at you."

"Oh, well… I honestly forgot with that malady plaguing me. It wasn't as big a deal then as when you first stabbed me, probably because of the Reiatsu... It had been hours later when we saw him, anyway. Besides, in hindsight, it was for the best, right?"

"I guess so."

Ichigo looked around the calm, warmly lit forest before he looked up at the villagers walking the crisscrossing platforms above. "Hey, what are you gonna do for sleeping arrangements?"

"I don't know. We  _literally_  just got here."

"Are you opposed to sleeping with me?"

"Not really." Grimmjow replied.

"Cool. Uh… Guess we'll think about that later." Ichigo said as he ran the cotton swab across more of Grimmjow's wounds.

"Kurosaki, how much longer is this going to take? Gathering these stupid crystals?"

"I don't know, jeez. But be glad. We have five so far. Looks like we're working on the sixth one now, thanks to Chile."

A low growl emitted from Grimmjow's throat. "I'm growing impatient…"

Ichigo put the reddened cotton ball into a plastic bag to dispose of later, "I know." He stated. "But… if nothing else, I'm enjoying spending this time with you."

"Of course you are, Mr. Feelings."

Ichigo clenched his fists. "Shut up… I was completely serious that night. Don't mock me for it."

"You really are a pansy." Grimmjow said, shaking his head.

"Yeah, but you're following me around so I guess you're no better."

Eyes squinted in response. "Shitwad."

"Asshole!"

"Ugh, you are such a fucking child!"

"Oh, yeah!? Look who's talking!" When Grimmjow smacked his lips, Ichigo rolled his eyes and started packing his medical supplies. "See you later." He said, then got up.

When Ichigo started walking away, Grimmjow grinned and stood up. "I don't know what you're mad about! I told you I didn't need any help!" He yelled.

"Yeah whatever!"

* * *

"So tell me again exactly what it is we're doing." Kon said to Nel as they stood in the middle of the street that was near full with villagers going on about their own daily routines. It was nice being among so many friendly and peaceful people. It was reminiscent of Seireitei… on the days he found himself wandering around with Rukia or Ichigo. Or that one time he hid in Ichigo's booksack and successfully infiltrated Inoue's house, which eventually had him secretly running around the city with her hidden in her purse.

"We're gonna roll in some cash! I know bartering is my best bet as a gypsy, but let's be serious here. Pampered Princey and Mr. Do-Gooder won't last much longer without money. Heck, I'd bet my bottom dollar they've just been getting by on handouts and favors all this time… I realize these are faults of theirs, and that's why I'm stepping up to the plate to do something about it." Nel replied with a smile as she looked around the village for things that would be useful to them in their everlasting journey.

Kon wasn't exactly convinced. "Still, this place doesn't look like a place that is overflowing with money."

"I've seen some of them paying for things with gold coins. Don't think somewhere is impoverished just because it looks that way. Some older tribes of Earthia had gold, lots of it, but no means to trade that gold for sturdy building materials because they were cut off from the civilizations that had those materials. The same thing seems to be going on here. Though, a Seireitei officer  _is_  here… Which leads me to think only certain people in Seireitei know about this place. The chief may have wanted to remain true to their way and refused any help from outsiders… But anyway, didn't anyone ever tell you not to judge a book by its cover? You never know what goes on until you take time to see what lies underneath."

"Alright, alright. You sure can give long-winded speeches… So what is it you want me to do?"

"You and Chile will be aiding me in a show." Nel replied with a wink, then giggled. Kon could almost see the horns and tail sprout from her body and a dark, sinister aura cover her head.

Chile looked up at Nel questionably. "What show?"

"Well, I'll need you to fly for me. Can you do that?"

"I… I can't fly yet…"

"Oh, well… Put on that flame trick you did back on the island. That'll do just as well." The gypsy girl said, giving a smile.

"What could you possibly want us to do? We're… we're  _animals_! I'm not even a real one!" Kon interrupted.

"You'll see, hehe! It's actually a perfect setup for what I have in mind!"

* * *

As he headed back to the lower part of the village, Ichigo found himself unwillingly caught up in excited hysteria about something that was going on at the beach. People, particularly children, were all rushing down to where some sort of fire was coming from.

"Fire…?" he said.

"It appears so." Pantera said, coming up to him from behind.

"Hey Pantera." Ichigo smiled.

"It's been a while since I spent time around you. I hope you don't mind." The panther stated both seriously and lightheartedly at the same time.

"No, not at all. I was just about to go and see what all the commotion was about."

"Lead the way."

Ichigo started walking down the long sidewalk, but grew a bit curious about something as he and Pantera went on side-by-side. "It's weird… You didn't ask me about Grimmjow. I'm sure I smell like him." He commented with a grin.

"That's because Grimmjow is a capable man. He'll be fine no matter where he goes. And I know if you smell like him, then that means you two were together. If he was in your presence, he was in good hands."

"Wow. That's strange…"

"What is?"

"Well, for me, I'm having a hard time believing I have a spirit animal. Chile is just a baby, so I'll definitely be giving him a lot of attention. I don't know that he'll want it when he grows up, though.. But with you and Grimmjow, it's almost as if you just see each other when you see each other."

Pantera grinned his panther grin, "Well, he has always been a bit of a loner. I don't know what it would be like to be that way because from the time I was born, I was always with someone: my mother or Grimmjow. But I don't necessarily cling to Grimmjow. I know he took me in that day reluctantly, so I don't smother him. We're comfortable with this existence we have together. And even though he used to prefer to be alone… now it seems like he's okay with being around others." He said, then looked Ichigo over with a small smile.

"Really?"

"I can only assume. He's been with you for days on end now, after all."

"He has.." Ichigo looked up to the sky for a moment and carefully thought about his time with Grimmjow, then directed his gaze back to the path ahead. "Oh. It looks like we're here." He could tell from the crowd of people sprawled out along the length of the beach. They were watching as someone danced and flipped about like a professional acrobat to the sound of a drum and tambourine played by some villagers. Most interestingly, this person was surrounded by a lively trail of fire. Ichigo squinted and wondered who it was. It was clearly a woman, he could tell because her legs were on display under the light, clear garment she was wearing around her waist that flowed to her ankles. From her clothes, he wondered if she was just a person of this tribe putting on a show. Since he couldn't see her face, he could only speculate. It was wrapped quite well so that only her eyes were visible.

Her form was beautiful: arms held close to her body and then perfectly thrown up and out as she spun around. Gracefully, she flipped in midair, her legs forming a straight line that coincided perfectly with the horizon for just an instant before she touched the ground and continued her dance.

"It's time to bring forth the lion!" she suddenly called out.

Ichigo sweatdropped at the sound of that familiar voice.

"Ugh!" someone said in the crowd. "H—here I come! RAAAWR!" they said.

When he saw Kon come out and start hollering at the top of his lungs like a big cat, he sighed. "So that's what this was…"

"Heh, she sure is resourceful." Pantera commented.

"Huh?"

"Look there."

Ichigo looked at the people cheering, then saw many golden coins scattered in the sand between them and Nel. "She's earning money?" he observed. The sound of Kon yelling at the top of his lungs drew his eyes again. He saw Nel bring out a whip and start chasing Kon around in a fluent dance. When she started spinning, the whip came out to the crowd and just barely missed them, earning their cheers. Nel was quite precise and skilled at this. Ichigo hadn't ever really seen her in action like this before today.

"Don't hurt him…" Chile said quietly as he trailed Nel to keep the fire aesthetic going. He was masked from the people by the fire itself. If he hadn't been, it could have stirred up the wrong kind of attention. Who knew how the people would react to a phoenix…? To them, Chile's fire was little more than a part of Nel's performance.

"It's all for the team! He'll be fine!" the girl replied, continuing her relentless  _assault_.

"Hey! What's going on down there?!" Onda's angered voice came from a rooftop.

"Oh! Onda! This show is amazing! Come watch it!" one of the people from the crowd shouted.

"Stop this madness or the volcano demon will destroy us all! Do you intend to waken it with this foolishness?!"

That one declaration effectively silenced the cheering crowd. Even Nel came to a stop. All eyes were on Onda now as he stood looking down on them.

"Volcano demon?" Ichigo echoed.

Apparently he'd get no further information on it, because his silence persisted. These people understood the weight of that idea, so why would he need to expound on it?

"Guess that's our cue… I don't want to deal with  _him_  again!" Nel said, then grabbed hold of Chile. After snapping the whip outwards, she successfully wrapped the end of it around Kon and then began spinning. Everyone turned back to her as she spun and generated a large gust of wind that kicked up the sand around her. Ichigo watched Kon spinning sharply around atop it in the whip's grasp. When the sandstorm died, they were all gone… along with the golden coins.

"What's the meaning of this?!" Onda asked.

"Onda, calm down." A man's deep voice said.

The mere sound of his voice sent everyone into another fit of excitement. Ichigo saw a group of men coming down to the beach, led by a stern-looking, battle-worn man.

"Vikter!" Onda said, his eyes wide and shame gracing his face.

"You don't need to take on the role of village watchman while we're away." Vikter, the leader of the soldiers said. He drew the attention of all those around him, fellow men, women, children, and even the animals in the village alike. He was handsome, lightly scarred from head to toe, and seemingly quite compassionate just from his demeanor. There were war paintings on his broad chest that trailed up his neck, even though his atmosphere didn't imply someone who was a partaker in such offices.

Onda jumped down and insisted it was something he wanted to do.

"He's just doing a good job taking care of everyone, isn't that right, Onda?" A woman said, pinching his cheek in a motherly sense. Her complexion was a lot lighter than the others in the village. But it wasn't so uncommon. There were others walking around with fairer skin tones as well, it was just a minor kind of thing. Her hair was pulled back and braided down her back. Her beauty was comparable to some of the beauties in Seireitei, interestingly enough.

"I'm not a baby, Lenn! I'm twenty years old!"

"Yeah, he's two decades!" one of the new arrivals teased.

Onda grew embarrassed, his cheeks reddening a bit.

"Where're your friends and sister?" Vikter asked.

"Sungah is with that woman. The others are patrolling the village as we speak." Onda replied.

"You're lumping Denma in with 'the others'?" Lenn asked.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I?"

"Everyone has someone they care about." Lenn replied, then leaned in close to Onda. Whatever it was she whispered in his ear made him blush deeper than he had before, and he stormed off without a word. She laughed to herself and wore a look of slight disapproval on her face, "That boy will never admit it."

"Admit what?" Vikter inquired as he came up beside her.

"Nothing… He wouldn't want me blabbing to anyone about it, especially not to  _you_."

"What did  _I_  do…?"

"Excuse me." Ichigo said as he came up to the two of them.

Vikter's thick eyebrows rose up his forehead, "Outsiders are here in the village?" he observed, clearly much more open to the idea than Onda.

" _You_  are  _so_  impersonal sometimes." Lenn scolded. She turned and bowed slightly to Ichigo, "Greetings to you. Welcome to Pagunia."

Ichigo hesitated for a second, but bowed as well, "Thank you."

"I take it you have some questions?"

"Yeah. If it's not a bother or anything…"

"Nonsense. We'll answer anything you want to know." Lenn smiled.

"I wanted to know about this village. Specifically, I'm here on a quest to collect the crystals of Earthia to visit the High Palace. Is there any way you two could help me in doing that?"

"Quite bold, aren't you?" Vikter said.

"Well, I want to be honest. You'll never get anywhere in life by lying and hiding things." Ichigo replied.

Lenn's thin eyebrows went a bit up her forehead as well. "You sure are an interesting man."

"Please, I'm trying to help my friends."

"Friends? Are they here?"

"Yes…" Ichigo sighed, "Well, yes and no. One of my friends is in the palace and I want to bring her home, and one of them is going with me to get healed there."

"If you want the crystal, you'll have to fight for it." Vikter told Ichigo with a gravely serious look on his face.

"That's the only way, huh?" the orange-head responded. His deep brown eyes followed Vikter's finger as the man lifted it and pointed at the expansive volcano across the water.

"The volcano demon has the crystal. Even Hozukimaru and Tenken are having trouble retrieving it. If  _they're_  even struggling, you might want to give this trip of yours a rest. There's no way you'll ever get it out of the volcano…" Vikter said. And just then, an ominous wind made its way through the vast village.


	58. heated paths

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I can't apologize enough for this late update. Thankfully it's almost December and the semester is almost over.

****After having learned the truth about the tragedy that was ravaging Pagunia from Vikter and Lenn, Ichigo found himself feeling incredibly guilty for his previous intention to just take the crystal and leave. Sure, he could pin some of the blame on Grimmjow for wanting this journey to be an expeditious one, but he, too, was at fault for his desire to see Inoue again and ask her to come home with him. However, unlike the Island Archipelago, he didn't plan to just leave these people alone with their problems. Although he personally couldn't go to tell Kenjou about his missing townspeople, he knew he could get the message there one way or the other.

Now walking through the streets of Pagunia, without Pantera, who had left him in search of his own source of food, he looked around for a place where he could find something to eat. This part of the village was packed with various smells and choices. Fish seemed to be a popular menu item that he could see from the stands inside the restaurants as he passed each one. It was probably this town's livelihood since they lived so close to the sea.

The sudden shrieking of a high-pitched voice coming from one of the food shops caught his attention, and since he recognized it, he knew where he would be getting his food from today.

After entering the restaurant, a larger place with two levels that seemed much more settled into the village than the rest of them, he spotted his friends sitting at a table and talking together. Kon, of course, was the one who had made such an audible screech.

"It's Ichigo!" Chile said, unable to hid his excitement at seeing his human counterpart.

"Hey, come sit down, guy!" Nel told him.

They were lucky this place wasn't too busy right now, otherwise, they'd be making quite the scene…

Still, in spite of his friends' obnoxiousness, Ichigo walked over to them with a small smile on his face. Ultimately, they were the people he'd be spending the rest of his life around. So he accepted them for who they were wholeheartedly. That's what friends were. And when you're with them, what others think of you becomes increasingly irrelevant.

"Where have you been?" Nel asked when Ichigo reached them and sat down at the table beside her.

"I've been around.." the orange-head replied.

"Doing…?"

"Things."

Nel smacked her lips. "Ugh, why do you have to hide things from  _me_?"

Chile jumped from the stool he'd been sitting on, where he wasn't even really able to see the table, to the floor, then walked over to Ichigo. After hopping on his foot, he looked up at him expectantly.

Ichigo smiled down and picked the chick up to hold him in his lap. "I'm not hiding anything.. I just… Well, I don't really wanna talk about Grimmjow." He told Nel, then looked up to the menu above the front counter.

"So you  _were_  with him?" Nel inquired suggestively.

"Yeah, but not in the way you think."

"Ahem! I've been thinking about that, Ichigo." Kon interrupted, which earned him an unenthusiastic facial expression from the orange-head. "Are you and that Arrancar… eh… you know…  _chummy_?"

"We're having sex, if that's what you really want to know. In the ass, and it's really enjoyable." Ichigo said matter of factly.

Kon looked like someone had just farted in his face and slid him through a pigsty. "I did  _not_  need to know that, actually! A simple yes would've been fine!"

"Well, you asked."

"I think that is the most amazing, sexiest thing ever." Nel said bluntly. With all eyes on her now, she elaborated her point. "I mean, you're both incredibly hot for hopeless, idiotic men. It almost makes me want to see you two going at it. Who's the dom? I bet it's  _him_ , isn't it? Is he gentle with you? He doesn't  _seem_  like the type to be that way…"

"Oh my god this is no longer proper lunch conversation!" Ichigo quickly spouted, dropping his head on the table in embarrassment.

"I can't see what you'd see in a dude…" Kon commented as he got up on the table and walked over to Nel and then jumped into her lap. "It's another guy's  _junk_ … isn't that the tiniest bit weird?"

"I don't know about that." Nel began, answering in Ichigo's stead. "If you wanna be so blatant about it, I've actually heard a few men say that if they could, they'd go down on themselves. Why would it be so weird to venture out into the idea of giving that pleasure to another guy? Especially one you like…"

"I'm going to leave if you guys don't drop this." Ichigo said without picking his head up.

"Hey, other than sex, how are you and Grimmjow? Are you two actually talking? You know, are you breaking that shell of his? I know he, like a lot of the other Espada, aren't very personable… It must've been hard for you all this time being alone with him."

Picking his head up, Ichigo looked at Nel with a sincere and hopeless expression on his face. "I actually told him how I feel."

Nel's eyebrows shot up her forehead as if they meant to jump off it completely. "WHAT?! WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL MEEEE?! THAT IS SO IMPORTANTUH!"

"It wasn't that long ago... I told him last night on the island."

"OMG! What did he say?!"

"Uh… he took it better than I expected him to. But ultimately… I don't think he was that interested in me or my feelings."

"Was he mean to you?! I'll  **KILL**  him!" Nel roared with the fury of a thousand demons, jumping up from her stool in an outrage only to be pulled back down onto by Ichigo.

"You have  _feelings_  for that guy?!" Kon asked disbelievingly. "Oh Ichigo… he's a wanted man in Seireitei, right? What do you plan to do about that?"

"It doesn't matter. I don't care about that. But if you must know, I've got two ideas that I'll go for to get around that. I'm gonna try the first when we make it to the Capital City."

Kon smiled eagerly. "That's right! I'll get to see Inoue again!"

"Care to inform us?" Nel said.

"Not at the moment. I don't want it slipping out where Grimmjow can hear." Ichigo told her, directing that last part specifically at Kon.

"Chile, you can read his thoughts. Tell me what he's thinking." Kon ordered.

"I can't read them now. We're not in the spatial rift." The chick replied. "And don't tell me what to do!"

"So what's your second idea?" Nel asked now that it was clear Chile couldn't simply tell them.

"I…" Ichigo frowned as he felt his heartbeat increase, "…can't tell you guys. I'm still seriously debating that one with myself, but I think I'll know after we get back to Seireitei what I wanna do. Please understand."

With a sigh, Nel shook her head. "I've never met a more interesting man than you, Ichigo. It's always fun to hang around you." she finished with a smile.

"It's nice having you guys around, too." Ichigo said, returning that smile.

* * *

Trekking slowly through the tropical village on his own, taking in sights, sounds, and smells to be aware of any and everything that could come his way, was the silent Grimmjow. Here, much like Seireitei and even that village of that redheaded clown who had a thing for Kurosaki, everyone seemed to be content with their lives. Content, if not happy, it seemed. This caused the Arrancar to wonder how it was that people could be so satisfied with such mediocrity. Even the band of imbeciles he was traveling with seemed to have no real desire to live a life of luxury. What was worse, both Odelschwanck and Kurosaki respectively had tasted the royal treatment yet still showed no desire to be anything more than travelers, citizens… allies…

As he continued walking the street littered with villagers, both old and young, he looked down at his newly treated wounds, forgetting the people altogether. For a fleeting moment, he thought only of Kurosaki. His care for Grimmjow transcended anything the Arrancar had ever known. He was kind and gentle in private, but mostly a bit aggressive and irritable.

Kurosaki also loved him.

Loved him and treated him the way he'd occasionally seen couples interacting in Las Noches on the nights he found himself returning from hunting. Those eyes were filled now with something completely different than their first meeting, and he didn't know  _why_. He treated Kurosaki like shit most often. Why would he be so idiotic as to fall in love with someone like him?

It bothered him that he was even considering this at all. This was having an effect on him, which he really detested from the core of his being.

He was drawn from his thoughts when he spotted Pantera coming his way. And even more surprisingly, he could feel the familiar Reiatsu of Kurosaki and the others coming from a close area in the village.

"Hey." He said to Pantera when the panther reached him.

"Grimmjow." Pantera greeted.

"What have you been up to? Why are you roaming around?"

"I don't exactly know why. Ever since I left Las Noches, I've felt the need to be… active. I can't help but feel like it's because of the rambunctious few we've come to be traveling with."

"Hmph."

"You can't hide anything from me. I know you're not hating being in their presence."

"They're distracting enough to make this annoying ass journey more interesting. Plus, when push comes to shove, I guess they can handle themselves. Even Kurosaki."

"He and the others are close by if you want to go see them." Pantera offered, then watched as Grimmjow quietly headed in the direction their energies were coming from. He smiled, glad that such an interesting change had occurred in the both of them. Without even thinking about it, he followed his Spirit Human en route to the others.

* * *

"Are you really gonna eat that?" Nel asked Ichigo with wide eyes as said man stared down at a plate of steamed fish and some foreign plant that accompanied it.

"Yeah, I'm hungry." Ichigo replied as if it was silly to think he wouldn't, then stuck his fork down into the food. Anticipation rose as he lifted it and slowly brought it to his mouth. "Stop staring and order something!" he told the three intensely watching him. Just before he could eat, he felt something and turned around.

Nel did the same when she felt it a split second later. "Grimmjow?" she said.

Silently, Grimmjow walked into the restaurant and made his way over to the bar, where menu items and some alcoholic beverages were displayed. Nel and Ichigo watched as he ordered something, then a realization hit them both at the same time.

"How's he gonna pay for that?" they asked each other simultaneously.

Ichigo looked down when he felt something brush up against his legs. Pantera had laid down under the table in front of him, probably to prevent any of the other customers from seeing him. It made Ichigo feel pretty good to know that he was so comfortable around him.

"Take this to your boyfriend." Nel whispered as she slid a gold coin across the table to Ichigo.

"Here we go again. I told you he's not my boyfriend." Ichigo said in annoyance. " _You_  take it to him."

"I don't care if he gets into trouble for not being able to pay. But  _you_  do.  _So take it and go_ sit _with him_." Nel said implicatively.

Ichigo took the coin off the table, picked up his plate of food, and then walked over to the bar to sit beside Grimmjow. "Hey." He stated quite simply as he sat down.

Grimmjow looked at him as he lifted his drink to his lips, "What?" he asked after sipping it.

"I'm surprised."

Cerulean eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Huh?"

"There's so much variety in fish you could pick from, but you haven't ordered anything but a drink."

"Can I decide what I want first?"

Ichigo raised his shoulders. "Fair enough." He then turned to his own food and started eating it, noting that it was a decent decision he'd made despite Nel's having questioned it. Every so often, he'd look at Grimmjow through the corner of his eyes, watching him as he drank and decided what he was going to order. Grimmjow was such an interesting person to observe, particularly from afar. Here, being an exception, he was aware and also cautious of the person beside him. But times like when he was out in the desert hunting, fishing naked in a lake, or just lying on the beach, he was so uninhibited and had so much disregard for what everyone thought about him that it almost made Ichigo jealous. Their pasts and experiences couldn't have been starker than black and white, but still… they somehow managed to wind up figuratively tied together in an inescapable destiny. What that destiny was—hatred, love, war, or friendship—only time could reveal.

For now, Ichigo simply enjoyed the time he could spend with Grimmjow.

He knew the day when they'd go their separate ways was inevitable, after all.

"Hey, waiter." Grimmjow called, and waited as the man came over to him from the other end of the bar, "Give me five fried salmon, biggest you got, and I'll try some of the Mystic Palms drink you have too. If I like it, bring me the reserves."

"Yessir." The waiter said, then went to tell the order to the kitchen.

"So you like salmon?" Ichigo asked.

"It's alright." Grimmjow replied. He spoke again as he looked down at the ice floating in his quickly disappearing drink. "Kurosaki, had I never let you escape that night, what would you think of me at the present moment?"

Ichigo was taken aback, flabbergasted at this sudden question. "Are you drunk after one drink?" he asked jokingly.

"I can handle liquor. I assume you must be placing your own habits on me."

"Aha ha ha… ha…" Ichigo squinted. After moving his gaze out the window, he looked at the bright blue sky and wispy white clouds peacefully flowing in the freedom of the day. "I don't know. I told you I hated you for killing my friends. I was still under the impression that they were dead… But some other part of me started wondering about why you went to the trouble to take me in in the first place. You became something to study, and were always full of surprises. Eventually, I…" he trailed off, knowing his feelings from even such and early point in their relationship were already amorously budding. "I got a bit off track. To answer you, presently, you're not the same person as you were back then. So I can't really answer that question."

"Alright then. If I killed your friends now, what would you think?"

"Don't even joke about that. I wouldn't even give you the opportunity."

"What is it about them that makes you care?" Grimmjow asked. He didn't exactly understand what friendship was and he was aware of that. Sure, he had ties with his Fracción, but when push came to shove, he knew he chose what he wanted over their lives. Heck, it was apparent when the last of them, Nakeem, stopped to fight. Despite that, he continued on because he'd attained the prize he'd sought and carried it under his arm without a second thought. Not to mention his physical exhaustion from battle that could've led him to a shameful defeat…

"I can't really put it into words too well. They're all just people I don't want to do without. They liven my days and keep me strong."

"You're talking about more than those two I cut down, then?"

"Of course! Renji and Rukia are just two of many people I want to protect and live my life with. There's Senna, Chad, Ishida, Tatsuki, Keigo, and Mizuiro. You've already met Inoue… when you had your follower kidnap her… I consider Nel to be someone I wanna protect as well. And there's my little sisters and dad, too." Ichigo paused and gave a deep sigh, "Maybe one day you can meet all of them on better terms than you already have. I'm sure none of them think too highly of you right now… Hopefully I can help you avoid the mess you've started for yourself in Seireitei."

"Why would I want or need you to do  _that_?" Grimmjow asked, feeling like his standing in Seireitei was irrelevant to his existence or his vast ambitions.

"Because you want to be the king of Las Noches." The orange-head replied, speaking as if this fact and all that it implied should have been obvious. "If you don't want to be forcibly removed from the throne by the people of your kingdom for depriving them of the vital services that our kingdoms provide each other, you'll want to be on good terms with Seireitei."

"I'd love to see anyone try to dethrone me." The Arrancar said.

Ichigo stared at Grimmjow as if he meant to break him through vision alone. As seriously as he could, he spoke again. "Even if you become king, there's no such thing as a king with no kingdom. If your people abandon Las Noches because of your selfishness, you'll have nothing but solitude to your name. What would be the meaning in that?"

The statement was powerful enough to earn a heavy silence that settled quite comfortably between the two of them. Ichigo turned his attention back to his food, glad that his words had apparently gotten through that thick skull. Grimmjow was caught off guard by the server bringing him his fried salmon, but he took it and started eating anyway. After a while, he spoke. "The way you talk, it seems as if you already know I'll be the king."

Ichigo was shocked out of his wandering thoughts back to the present moment because he hadn't even realized that was true. "So what? Is it so wrong for me to want you to get what you're desperate for?"

"Desperate? I'm not desperate." Grimmjow corrected.

Ichigo looked down at his food, then over to Grimmjow's more appetizing plate. "Give me some."

"Get your own!"

"I'm the one paying, so give me a bite. I just want to try it. If I don't like it, it'd be a waste of money to have bought a plate of it."

In order to avoid an argument, and to get Kurosaki off his back, Grimmjow simply gave in and slid his plate over to him.

After picking up the fork and eating some of the fried salmon, Ichigo smiled and slid the plate back to Grimmjow. "Here's the money for your order. I'll see you later." He told him as he slid the golden coin Nel gave him over to the man. "And be nice to the villagers—who welcomed you here with open arms." With that said, he stood up and headed back to the table where the others were seated.

Grimmjow stared down at the coin and looked it over a few times, memorizing the grooves, valleys, hitches and dents in it, before he came to the realization that he had fallen to the level of the beggars in Las Noches. Scraping by on handouts and charity… it was nearly enough to make him regurgitate his meal. The only thing that kept him in a decent state of mind was the fact that, unlike beggars, he had power—which was so absolute that he could take what he wanted whenever he wanted it. Food and shelter was his to claim at a moment's notice. The only thing he would ever have a hard time attaining was the throne…

Kurosaki believed he could become king, despite his incessant criticisms about the way he acted. Somehow, that boosted his desire to swipe it from under the other Espadas' feet. The only thing in his way was his missing arm that prevented him from returning to Espada rank.

He knew that this journey needed to be expedited. Things were progressing slowly and his patience was running thin, if not gone completely.

Looking over his shoulder, he saw the three clowns at the table talking ceaselessly about absolutely nothing at all, along with that phoenix and Pantera. Chile was perhaps a solution to this journey's length since he could teleport, he thought.

And as he considered what the connection between Kurosaki and a phoenix was, an interesting thought occurred to him—about Kurosaki,  _of course_.

How could he go about keeping him around for sex when he was king? It wasn't like he could just snatch him up again. The first time he did that, he wound up in incredibly hot water. And he was just a prince when that went down!

Perhaps things would be different, though—Kurosaki would come to him willingly because of his "love" for him. That'd definitely be convenient. The title of king came with a lot of political and social implications and restrictions on his behavior that he wasn't sure he could work around.

He only really began considering these things because of the people he'd encountered on this quest for crystals. It seemed nobody was content with a dictator who did what he pleased; which is exactly what he'd originally planned to be. Somehow, he'd have to balance what he wanted and what the kingdom needed together.

For now though, he could do as he pleased. And that consisted of finishing this divine salmon.

* * *

"Hey, Ichigo." Nel smiled, scooting a little closer to him. Some time had passed, and Ichigo had said he was about to go and look for this Sungah person. Before he went, she wanted to spend a bit more time with him.

"Yeah?" said orange-head replied.

"Give me your right palm."

Ichigo chuckled at that strange order. "Why? Are you gonna give me a palm reading?"

"Yes. I'm interested in your fates."

With a skeptical sigh, Ichigo placed his hand into Nel's. "Here you go."

After looking Ichigo's palm over, Nel put a finger over her lips in contemplation. "Now, I've never been an expert at this.. But let's start with your heart line. This one here." She said as she ran her finger over the path closest to the bases of Ichigo's fingers that spanned from his index finger to the pinky. "It's strong and straight. This means you're probably content with your love life. If it started at your middle finger, it would mean you're selfish about love. Starting at the ring finger means you fall in love easily. If it's really short, it means you aren't interested in love. Wavy and starting from middle finger means you have a lot of lovers but no real sense of serious love or relationships. There're more variations and meanings, but I can't really remember them at the moment."

"…Content, huh?" Ichigo mumbled sarcastically. "Sure… What's next?"

Kon and Chile were utterly mesmerized by this. It was a shame neither of them had hands to speak of to receive this fortune-telling. Pantera was napping under the table, unaware of what was being said just above him.

"Okay. Give me a second here. I'm sure you don't want to know what all the possible meanings are about this. I just thought it'd be interesting to tell you about love intently. Everyone seems to care about that." Nel said, then concentrated a bit more on Ichigo's warm palm.

For a moment, Ichigo wondered what it meant for Grimmjow to have lost his left hand completely. The one thing he'd ever heard and remembered about palm readings were that females' lifelong accumulations were on their left hand, while it was the right for males. Conversely, the right hands for females were what showed what she was born with and for males it was the left. What could Nel see about Grimmjow's beginnings if he had his left hand back?

"From your head line, it looks like you're focused and have clear thought. You may even think too much. From your life line, it seems like you have extra vitality. That's honestly not surprising. But… Ichigo, I… I hate to tell you this… but your fate line is broken and saying there's abrupt change to your life coming in the future. I also see something rare in the way the lines move, and I know it's not good at all."

Ichigo smiled, "It's fine. Being a soldier and trying to save a criminal who doesn't want saving from death could very lead to a miserable future, if not death. I'm prepared for that."

Pure confusion overwhelmed Nel. "How could you be so calm about that?! You're actually  _smiling_  about it!"

"We all gotta go sometime. I prepared myself for death when I chose the life of a Court Guard."

"Men are so so foolish… and eager to die."

"Never said I was  _eager_." Ichigo corrected.

With a sigh, Nel pulled some golden coins from her pocket and placed them on the table. "I'm gonna go try scoping us out a place to spend the night. Any preferences?"

"Not really… unless… well… maybe two bedrooms would be a good idea."

"I second that idea!" Kon said hurriedly, raising his hand and nearly falling forward. There was no way he would witness the goings on of two men doing  _that_  together.

"Right. Well, off I go. Chile, come get under my hair. And don't burn it please."

"Actually, I was hoping to take Chile with me." Ichigo said. "I'm going to see who is conducting research and it couldn't hurt to have him with me."

"Oh, well that's fine." Nel agreed. "Big guy, what're you gonna do?" she asked Pantera after waking him.

The panther opened his eyes and looked around before he got up and out from under the table. After stretching, he sniffed the air.

Ichigo watched as he left the restaurant without parting words. "I think he's going to go find Grimmjow." Grimmjow had left some time ago after he'd finished his meal.

"Well, guess we'll all just see each other later." Nel said.

"Keep Kon out of trouble for me." Ichigo told her.

"Aye, aye."

* * *

With his eyes glued up to the evening sky, Denma sat silently on the beach. The wind blew against him to counter the sunset's warm light and the smell of salt was in the air from the sea. He hoped that someday he could sit here and not fear the volcano demon's wrath. That maybe one day things would be less tense.

"You seemed awfully compliant with our intruders. Not to mention how you're sitting here without a care in the world when they could destroy our village at any second." Onda said from a ways behind him.

Denma looked over his shoulder for a second, "You were very rude to them. Chief was right about you."

"She doesn't know anything…"

"She knows everything. That's why she's the chief." Denma corrected.

Onda smacked his lips and folded his arms. "I don't know why everyone's so against me. I'm just trying to protect our home."

"Pagunia isn't a place where we hate or dismiss people based on where they originated from. At its core, this village is a place of acceptance and compassion. That's what Lenn told me a long time ago, anyway."

"We were kids and believed anything." Onda said as he walked further ahead and took a seat beside his friend. "We believed anything."

"I still believe that! And you should too."

"You're so preachy and idealistic…"

"Onda…"

"Yeah?"

"Can I tell you something?"

"What?"

Denma felt himself growing warm and his heartbeat increase. "I believe in you and your power. You're strong and brave. But… you should know that's not the only way you have to be."

"It's how I wanna be."

"Remember when we were kids and we'd sit out here, talking aimlessly about nothing and playing games?"

"Of course. I'm not an old man like everyone thinks I am."

"I thought about the day I fell and hurt my leg. You carried me all the way to the healer and sat with me until he bandaged me. I was so scared and upset… But you being there made it… better."

"I'd've done that for anyone."

Denma looked away, "Yeah…"

"What about it?"

"Well… it's… nothing. Forget I mentioned it."

"You're so weird sometimes." Onda commented with a light chuckle, a rarity for him, then turned his full attention to the sunset off in the distance. Under its magnificent splendor, he didn't even notice Denma scooting a little closer to him.

* * *

Pagunia seemed just as lively, if not more lively, during the evening as it was during the middle of the day. Along the streets, fire pits were lit to keep the darkness at bay. This gave the entire village a warm glow in the midst of the night. The villagers were all still lively and enjoying each other's company, which was a perfect partner for this warm glow.

One could be intoxicated in the sense of community this place contained.

"Ichigo, what is your home like?" Chile asked from his perch atop the man's head of orange hair.

"It's similar to this. Being here makes me miss it a bit. I've been away from it for a few days now."

Chile smiled, "I'm pretty eager to see it."

"When this journey is over, we'll both go there. I'm sure my family would love to meet you." Ichigo replied as he came upon a building that he instinctively knew would be the place research was conducted. "Excuse me." He said as he entered.

A young woman, probably similar in age to himself, looked up from her workspace. "I'm sorry, but this place is off limits right now." She was a pretty young woman. Hair long and pulled into a high ponytail. Skin tan and, even from afar, smooth-looking. Her glasses were high on her nose and she looked as if she'd been working in this place for a long time.

"I'm from Seireitei. Is this where research on the volcanism is being conducted? I can assist you." Ichigo replied.

"From Seireitei?" the woman repeated. "Well, I suppose you could help… Guess I should've known you weren't from around here. You look quite different." She said as if it was interesting to her.

"I'm Kurosaki, Ichigo. Nice to meet you."

"My name's Sungah. I'm sure if you're an outsider, you've met my brother, Onda."

Ichigo sweatdropped. "Yeah. He's… uh…"

"It's fine. You can say it. He's a jerk. Don't know how he has such good friends…" Sungah nearly laughed.

After walking over to the desk, Ichigo looked at the work Sungah was doing. It seemed she was mapping out possible lava flow trajectories, determining what time of day the volcano was most dangerous and active, and also making a list of evacuation routes for the citizens. Trajectories mapped were expansive, based on what seemed like overestimated distances. Conclusively, there was a note at the bottom of one of the pages that lava flow was not an immediate threat. "Thorough." He commented.

"I can't let the others see this work… They'd all be in a panic. Even Chief Sayon and Onda don't know the village  _could_  be destroyed if the volcano erupted this time around. They're just under the impression that it's always been able to destroy us at the whim of the gods."

"But… if you all knew this could happen one day, why did you stay here next to it? Why build something so amazing if you knew it would be destroyed?"

"To answer that in her place…" a woman said as she came in from the back door, "The volcano itself provides no true threat, given the extreme distance from the village. The true threat comes from the giant lava golem that was created when the volcano came into contact with a certain item."

Ichigo was stunned and wide-eyed at the person standing before him, "N—Nemu-san?!"

"Hello, Kurosaki." Nemu said, calmly and collectedly. As she always was.


	59. subtle advances

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy (belated) New Year everyone!

"Nemu-san? What are you doing here… away from the kingdom? And does that crazy scientist know you're here?" Ichigo asked somewhat anxiously. This wasn't the most ideal of situations for him, after all.

"Of course. Kurotsuchi-taicho sent me here. Though, I believe he probably put some of his work on hold for a while since I'm not there to assist him with it." Nemu replied. She appeared serious and calm—the way she always looked on the rare occasions when she was seen roaming around Seireitei. Her stare was cold, distant, and barely gave a hint to the life within her. Still, she was a decent person to be around. Or at least, the only interactions Ichigo had ever had with her had been pleasant.

Sungah looked at Ichigo to clear up any questions he might have had. "Nemu is here helping us put a stop to the volcano demon, as we call it in the village, and retrieve the-"

"Soldiers at Kurosaki's rank do not need to be informed about that last part." Nemu interrupted.

"It's the crystal, right?" Ichigo asked.

"How did you know about that?" Nemu said, surprise not breaking her collected appearance in the least.

"I've been collecting them. I'm going to the Capital, and since I don't have clearance from the higher-ups, I'm going in through the back door."

Nemu paused, then considered this new information before speaking again. "I suppose you'll want this one too then, right?"

"Yep."

"Well then… I guess if you retrieve it,  _I_  can't forcibly stop you from taking it."

"W—wow, really!? That's pretty cool of you…" Ichigo smiled. "Oh, by the way, I have a favor to ask of you." he added.

"It depends on whether or not it's within my power. But go ahead."

"Don't tell the Captains about where I am, what I'm doing, or who I'm with please." he requested of her.

Again, Nemu stood silently. She took note of the Reiatsu that was interlaced with Ichigo's. And she noted the phoenix hiding in the orange-head's shirt for the first time as well. After a few seconds of consideration, she spoke. "Let me take a shot at figuring this out… You, a simple Substitute Court Guard, are here outside the kingdom without any permission from the Head Captain or any of the other Captains whatsoever, collecting crystals that are supposed to be a secret to those who reside in Seireitei who are beneath Lieutenant rank, harboring a dangerous fugitive who you probably helped escape execution—this fugitive being one Kurotsuchi-taicho was studying in-depth at that—and your ultimate goal… in gathering crystals and considering what's happened… your intention is to… let's see…" she paused and brought her hand up to hold her chin to think, "If you're collecting the crystals to get into the Capital, your objective must to retrieve Inoue Orihime—who was sent away from Seireitei to protect the kingdom from her powers and to keep her safe as well. Is that assessment at all accurate?"

Ichigo was flabbergasted, near shell shocked, at Nemu's sharp intuition. His mouth as a little open and his eyebrows were slightly raised.

"Ichigo…" Sungah said, worried about him because of his silence.

Although warm all over, Ichigo spoke anyway. "I uh-"

"Regardless of what it is you are doing under the Head Captain's nose, I have my own concerns to take care of. Kurotsuchi-taicho has a list of things many pages long for me to do upon my return to Seireitei. It goes without saying that I probably won't have time to divulge this information to anyone." Nemu said with the straightest, most emotionless face one could ever see.

A smile found its way to Ichigo's face as he practically radiated with relief. "Nemu-san-"

"Presently, our research has yielded no positive results. The lava golem sleeping in the volcano will become active over the next few days. The people here have been offering sacrifices to it to quell it, but I don't intend to let this behavior continue."

"Sacrifices?" Ichigo repeated, unknowingly making Sungah tense up in fear.

"A few weeks ago, the crystal in the temple was taken to the volcano and thrown into it for some reason. After seeing the resulting lava golem that emerged and spewed lava into the ocean, the villagers here have been trying to appease it. By giving it young women, they've claimed such practices have prevented it from re-emerging since that day."

Ichigo froze, surprised that that kind of thing still existed. "Yeah, let's stop this practice from continuing!"

"My intention." The woman said, then walked over to the desk and picked up a piece of paper from under Sungah's stack of notes. "The frost fusion will be our key." She said, holding it up to Ichigo. "I've already began the construction of it. You've come at an ideal time. Perhaps we can use your power to fuel it."

* * *

The pale, full moon glowed brightly in the evening sky, already prepared to light the night for when the sky turned completely dark.

"I've always wondered what it's like on the moon." Denma commented with a smile, looking up at it with awe in his chocolate-colored eyes.

Onda fell back on the sand and shook his head at the foolish idea. "You're such a kid sometimes. Even if you do look like an adult…"

"Well, nobody ever really grows up. Even if we're men now, we were boys with dreams once."

"Hey look. A star already." The more serious of the two said when it caught his attention, then pointed up at it.

"I saw a shooting star the other day. It was quick, but probably one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen."

"Even more beautiful than Minda and Lenn." Minda was another woman in the village, like Lenn, who was revered for her beauty. However, unlike Lenn, Minda wasn't a warrior.

"You don't get me at all…" Denma said with a sigh.

"I know you  _well enough_. I bet I could even guess what you wished for."

"I doubt it." There was no way whatsoever he could have known what Denma wished for.

"I think you probably went for something like happiness for everyone in the village. Or prosperity in the fish market to keep us all fed. Something like that."

Denma looked over at Onda, running his eyes over his overly relaxed form and letting them stop briefly at his bulge, then met his gaze. "Not even close. This time, I went for something a little more personal."

"Oh yea?"

"Yeah."

"Could it be that you…" Onda paused and thought something up, "You wished for a date with someone? That seems up your alley."

"I'm not telling you. It won't come true if I do."

Onda sat up and leaned closer to Denma. "Tell me. You trust  _me_ , right?"

"You already know how wishes work. If I told you…" Denma trailed off as his eyes carefully made their way to his friend's full lips.

Onda noticed immediately when he did it, and was a bit shocked by it, yet he didn't pull away. "You didn't… wish for a date with…" he trailed off, too far in denial to even speak it.

Even as his heartbeat quickened and he grew warm all over, Denma leaned in a bit closer. Being this close, so far into Onda's personal space, made him cast away his all the fears he ever harbored. He'd waited for a chance like this for a long time now.

Just before he connected his lips to the other man's, a bright light in the corner of his eye caught his attention and he turned to see what it was. And that's when he saw them: bright, bubbling lava pits lighting the area they occupied.

What was so alarming was that they were in the area that connected the volcano to the village.

* * *

Looking over Nemu's shoulder in the dimly lit office space she had in this back room as she tinkered with some notes, which were all quite neatly arranged on her desk, Ichigo raised a question. "So… What's a frost fusion?" he said.

Without turning her attention away from her notes and calculations, Nemu answered him. "It is the key to possibly permanently halting the volcanic activity that threatens this region of Earthia. You don't know this, but it was surmised a while ago that Aizen even had his eyes on this area." She said as though it was nothing at all.

At hearing that name, Ichigo was thrown back into the reality of his situation. After journeying this far and for as long as he had with Grimmjow, he'd let the man who was the Arrancar's superior slip his mind. Aizen was the person who singlehandedly threw Seireitei into disarray when he betrayed them to go reign over the desert lands. It was a while ago that it happened, and many wound up incredibly wounded from his actions, but it wasn't anything they couldn't or didn't rebound from. And while he did take the kingdom of Las Noches from its original king and raise an army in it, Ichigo'd overheard the captains' distrust of Aizen. What that was, he did not know.

Heaven forbid he make the decision to go after the crystals himself. He was a captain, so he, by the hierarchal information system in Seireitei, should be aware of their existence. Only captains and vice-captains were ever granted the knowledge of their existence, after all.

"Why would we believe he'd be interested in this place?" he asked.

"Because of the magnitude of destruction it can leave in its wake. This volcano's depths have been shown, from the deepest we could measure, to drill close to the very core of the planet. As a side note, it seemed only fitting that the crystal be kept secret in this region. But as for the volcano itself, it could very well destroy half the continent, should it erupt at full capacity."

"Then… Sungah's calculations were meaningless?"

"She's a bright girl. I could even see her coming in to Seireitei to work in our division someday. But even she couldn't fully grasp the magnitude of destruction a Level 5 eruption could bring. Nor would I want her to. If I gauged her worst expectations, I'd say they were at Level 3 at most. What she doesn't know is that the diameter of the volcano spans deep underground, hidden from our view. We really are only seeing about half of it on the surface. If a Level 5 eruption occurred, this village, the villages of the people you've encountered on your way here, and even Seireitei kingdom would be eradicated."

Ichigo was shell-shocked that such a threat existed right under his nose  _and_  the noses of everyone in on the continent. Nemu's deceit, however, got him even more riled up. "So… why don't you tell her the truth? Why lead her on when she's not even close to knowing the true danger? And why are we only now solving this issue if it's such a big problem?"

"Because until recently, the volcano was fairly docile. We've been watching it for over twenty years and it only ever gave five Level 2 eruptions. It was when it came into contact with the spiritual crystal that it started showing signs of activity beyond Level 3. And as for why I'm 'leading her on,' there's always good reason to encourage scientific research—intellectual development—especially in the mind of someone so talented. It ensures the future of our world won't fall to ignorance. Science will always have relevance in the lives of humans." Nemu said,  _almost_  compassionately.

Ichigo conceded that last part, and then tried understanding the situation. "So the crystal caused it to become so dangerous…" he said.

"Yes. And as for Aizen, it was our pure assumption that he would be interested in removing his biggest threat here on the ground, Seireitei, so he could eventually make his way to the Capital." Nemu continued. "But I've digressed quite far from your question, haven't I?"

Ichigo became suspicious. "Why are you telling me this? Sounds like classified information. You aren't planning on killing me, are you?"

"No, no. I honestly don't think any harm can come of it. After all, you've come this far. Why try concealing it all now? Besides, there're secrets deep in the heart of Seireitei far greater than this that would make your head spin. Keeping you preoccupied with what you're doing seems like a good idea."

Ichigo did not doubt that there were incredible secrets in Seireitei he was unaware of. For some reason, he knew the day to day life he'd always known back home was a façade to the inner workings of the kingdom. After all, one could not know what their home was truly like until they were immersed in the more informed governing faction. But that in no way meant he wasn't happy with the way things were. "I'm sure of that…" he stated. Contrary to her elitist boss, Nemu was surprisingly agreeable… On her own…

"To answer your question, a frost fusion is one of our newest attempts to prevent this calamity before it can happen. By effectively utilizing the power of Captain Hitsugaya, we have found a way to freeze volcanoes over entirely. Even to their deepest roots in the ground. However, we have yet to use it on a volcano of this size. I won't try explaining the details of particle fusion and atomic energy usage to you. All you need to do is assist me in setting it up." Nemu explained as she pulled a heavily locked cooler out from under her desk, and from that, a metal-framed box with a glowing white light at its core.

The intense frost already being emitted made Ichigo wonder how she was holding it. "Is that it?"

"Yes. I will drop it into the volcano and then activate-"

"Oh no! Heeey!" Sungah's voice came from the office up front. She hurried to the back and opened the door with a little too much force. "Come quick!" she desperately told them.

* * *

At the sound of panicked villagers and the sight of them rushing towards the beach, Vikter was quick to drop what he was doing to go investigate. After all, he had to take care of everyone as the village's designated protector. "What's going on?!" he asked as he forced his way through the mass of frenzied people.

"Vikter!" Onda said when he saw him coming.

The second he laid eyes on them, he knew the end was near for his village. "When did those start appearing?" he asked.

"I—I don't know! Denma and I were here and they just appeared!"

"Rgh! This is terrible…!" he said with his hands balled into fists.

Grimmjow, ever the curious man, and also ever so interested in the things that could make a group of content villagers suddenly panic, wasted little to no time at all going towards the beach. His route of choice was the rooftops of the homes and stores. To him, it was advantageous to do so because he could remain at a decent distance from the beach in case the sea level was rising—which wasn't a reasonable conclusion to make considering the villagers were rushing  _towards_  the beach and not  _away_  from it. At any rate, the rooftops weren't crowded so he could move with uninterrupted agility.

Common sense told him not to use too much energy because the force could destroy the buildings. He'd never get the crystal that way, nor would he hear the end of it from Kurosaki.

Regardless of that, his trip to the rooftops of the houses at the edge of the village was a short one. And his cerulean eyes gleamed at the sight of the glowing, bubbling lava pits that were slowly but surely making a beeline for the village. There were four of them, each connected by a thin run of lava, each a bit too large to ignore. Against the darkness of the night, they were actually quite a fascinating sight to behold.

For the quickest of seconds, he could've sword he'd seen movement that wasn't normal for lava.

"It's the outsider!" someone shouted.

Grimmjow looked down at the villagers, but he noticed they weren't talking about him. It was Kurosaki. He was running down to where they were with a woman beside him and another woman, who he carried on his back.

This would be interesting to watch, he thought.

Ichigo slowed down and made his way through the crowd with Nemu on his heels.

"What are you doing here?!" Onda shouted suspiciously. "Sungah, what are you doing with these outsiders?" he asked his sister.

"We're going to solve this problem!" said girl replied as she hopped off Ichigo's back.

"Solve it?" Denma repeated. He put a hand on Onda's shoulder, as he knew his friend was uncomfortable with Sungah working with the people from Seireitei.

Sungah nodded. "Yes."

Nemu pulled the bag she was wearing off her shoulders and instructed everyone to stay put if they wanted to avoid injury. Then she silently made her way to the expanse of land between the village and volcano.

Ichigo started after her, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him. He turned and saw that it was Nel who had stopped him. Kon was hiding underneath her hair, but looking over her shoulder at the danger threatening the village. "Hey." He said to them.

"What is your friend about to do?" the gypsy asked.

"She's going to use the prototype of a weapon Seireitei has been developing to stop the lava."

Everyone watched as Nemu pulled something out from her bag and then started meticulously deciding where she would place the thing. Whatever it was, it had some matter in the center that was either white or a blue so light it looked white. And this matter looked extraordinarily cold, as it emitted tiny bits of frost into the air.

She wasted no time in putting it down, then stepped back from it and made sure it was placed properly. When it appeared that it was, she started running back towards the village and pulled a remote controller out from her pocket.

As soon as she pressed the button, a massive and vibrant array of ice shot out in all directions. It violently tore its way across the ground until it covered all four of the large puts of lava, freezing them over with ease.

The villagers who were previously in a fit of fear were all silent, shocked into pacification by this. Nemu was silent even as she walked past them. The only thing she said was to Ichigo when she reached him, "Thank you for the energy. It made that possible. I'll be constructing the next one tonight, so you rest and come see me tomorrow." And with that, she continued on through the people and made her way up through the village.

All eyes shifted from her to Ichigo. Ichigo awkwardly made his escape by following the opening in the crowd that was made for Nemu.

"Eeeh… He's really glad to help you all solve this!" Nel announced, knowing the crowd's tension needed to be broken somehow, before she followed after him.

"Ichigo, you still have so much energy left after that…" Chile said after sticking his head out from said man's shirt. "You really are amazing."

"Thanks." Ichigo replied with a smile.

"Hey, wait up!" Nel shouted, making the orange-head stop and turn around to see her coming his way.

"What's up?"

"You sure are a strange guy…" Nel put her hands on her hips, then looked up at the vast, glowing village. "Guess you're ready to call it a night, huh?"

Ichigo shrugged indifferently. "Doesn't matter. Did you find somewhere for us to crash?"

"Sure did! Let's get out of sight before you draw more unwanted attention to yourself." The girl smiled, then took Ichigo by the arm and led him through the village. The village itself radiated warmly against the steep darkness of the night thanks to the fire lit streetlights. "Hope you don't mind if we get a drink or two before we sleep."

"Not really. That actually sounds like fun."

* * *

When the crowd on the beach began dispersing, Onda noticed that Vikter had left already. His first thought was that he'd gone to see the Chief. So that's where he decided to go.

"Onda, wait…" Denma said as he forced his way through the other villagers.

Onda looked over his shoulder at him. "Yeah?"

"You're going to see the Chief, aren't you?"

"No."

With a sigh, Denma looked to the ground. "You don't-"

"Go home, Denma… We'll see each other around." Onda told him, then went on his way without another word or so much as a glance over his shoulder.

* * *

Much of the night wound up passing, especially for the Arrancar sitting quietly at one of the highest spots in the village. Up the hill and on one of the tallest trees in the forest, Grimmjow stared out at the overwhelmingly dark world. The open sky and sea paralleled the nights he'd spent in the desert kingdom—his home. Only, the only dangers he faced there were possible preemptive attacks from his formerly fellow Espada or animal attacks. Here, he may not have faced those dangers, but the unknown nature of the sea always left him feeling uneasy.

Anything could be lurking there, where he could not see.

The night, illuminated by the solitary pale spotlight up in the sky, like his thoughts, was calm. Even the other half of the village below radiated such a feeling of tranquility.

His eyes wandered freely, just observing. The people who were still out were happy. They felt safe here in this death trap, apparently…

Grimmjow wasn't used to this…  _serenity_.

It was actually overwhelmingly undesirable for him. He was the Espada who thrived on  _destruction_ , after all. He found solace in tearing things down and unadulterated chaos, not peace.

How anyone could be content with this was beyond him. Life without risk just wasn't worth living.

When the waves down at the distant beach began speeding up as they rolled in, he got up and jumped down to the ground.

After opening his Pesquisa, he headed towards where the Reiatsu signals of his group were coming from.

True, he could've spent his night in the tree and not have to deal with the obnoxious trio. But there was no reason he should, seeing as there was a warm bed and hot piece of ass awaiting him.

When he finally made it to the lodging, he inquired the person running the front about where his "traveling group" had been assigned. Upon hearing the room number, he went there without much delay.

Finding the door unlocked, he wondered if that was intentional or not. But after mulling it over, he realized that no one in this village could come correct at the fools inside. After all, they didn't seem like the types to fight with use of Reiatsu.

To his surprise, there was no party going on. No obnoxious or childish games being played. No drinking.

It was just dark and silent.

" _How unexpected."_  He thought.

He went to the hallway and pushed the first door open. And then he found out why it was so quiet. Kurosaki, Odelschwank, the toy, and the phoenix were all asleep. In the same bed.

Admittedly, seeing someone cuddled up beside Kurosaki was a bit… irksome. For as much as he joked about it and told Kurosaki to do it in the past, actually being faced with the idea of him sleeping with a woman didn't sit well with him at all.

Though, clearly that wasn't what happened here.

The cups on the nightstand and floor were a dead giveaway of the fact that they were probably drinking. Heck, they probably tired themselves out before he'd even arrived—just like children. It was embarrassing to think this was what he'd been parading around with. Compared to his Fracción, these clowns were wild toddlers...

As a side thought, he noted that Kurosaki looked…  _different_ … His lips were a bit swollen and his cheeks were flushed… He almost looked…

No.

All he was was a pretty boy. Grimmjow had even admitted that to his face a while ago in the desert. But that didn't mean  _he_  liked that kind of thing… Not at all.

Though, it didn't hurt in bed to have that face to look at…

"Ugh…" he rolled his eyes, dismissing the orange-head and even the others from his thoughts, and went on to the second door. As expected, because that's what had been agreed on, there was a second bedroom behind it. He went inside and smirked when he noticed that this was where Pantera decided to sleep tonight; on the floor by the window.

After shedding his shirt and Zanpakutō, he crawled into bed and threw the sheets out of the way. It was warm and muggy enough in this place already. Which was a bit different compared to when they first arrived… Those lava pits he saw must've been spreading for a reason…

"…" It was when he laid down and got comfortable that he realized he didn't get the chance to fuck Kurosaki. What was even stranger was that he didn't wake him up and force him to come into the room with him…

But it mattered not. He wasn't interested in sleeping with him at the moment anymore, anyway. What was more important was spending the night alone. It had been a while since it was just him and Pantera. "Night." He said as he closed his eyes, knowing full well Pantera wouldn't respond.

Not long after he shut his eyes and listened to the sounds of the village, the forest, and the beach, he fell asleep. In the darkness and empty night, he rested alone.

Not long after that, Ichigo slowly woke from his sleep and rubbed his eyes. After looking around the dark room, he disentangled himself from Nel. He wasn't aware that Grimmjow had come back, so he was just going to check and see if he'd come.

Finding him sleeping in the next room over, he sighed with relief. The man who thrived on solitude and keeping everyone at bay had come to them for comfort tonight. That in itself was something worth marveling at.

Ichigo weighed the options in his mind: sleeping with Nel and the others versus sleeping with Grimmjow.

Even after all the drinks he'd had, his answer was obvious.

He left the others after pulling the blanket over Nel some more, slipped into Grimmjow's room, got out of his shirt and pants so only his underwear remained, and crawled into bed beside him. He left a little room because it was pretty warm and humid. He had no idea how he fell asleep beside the others, actually…

Before he went to sleep, he carefully reached over and stuck his hand into Grimmjow's Hole. As it usually did, it provided that cool, heavy aqueous feeling. It was kinda nice to do it without objection. But he withdrew his hand and stared at the back of Grimmjow's head when he heard him groan.

"Good night, Grimmjow." He warmly voiced, then closed his eyes. It was times like these where he could just be next to him without sexual drives that he appreciated with all his heart.


	60. eruptions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I'm sorry about the terribly late update. My senior project has been taking literally all my time... But it wasn't in vain, since I passed my review and am getting ready to graduate. When summer comes, updates will be less sporadic and fall back to the usual bi-weekly/monthly schedule.
> 
> I'm also working on my other stories as well for any of you who are reading them.

It wasn't the morning wind, the scent of flowers, or the bright sunlight coming in through the window that Grimmjow first noticed as he woke. No, it was the feeling of skin weighing on his arm which caught his attention. The next thing he noticed  _was_  the sun beaming in from its high place in the sky, damned near blinding him. He looked over his shoulder and saw that it was Kurosaki sleeping behind him with his arm draped over him, awkwardly, as he did.

After sitting up, he looked down at him and observed him without uttering a sound. He watched the little things about him like how his stomach rose and fell as he took his calm breaths, how his hair blew in the light morning breeze, and his swollen lips that were parted the tiniest bit. Grimmjow knew this boy was gorgeous and attractive. And having him pining after him was admittedly an ego booster.

Like a thief in the night, Kurosaki had crept into here to stay the night with him. Found comfort in being at his side, even though Grimmjow had warned him not to do that many, many times before. Sure, he was willing to bunk together, but that was because they usually fucked. The current situation where the lust was missing was just bizarre.

Still, curiosity definitely got the better of Grimmjow. Leaning over, he got unbelievably close to the smaller man and sniffed him. Kurosaki's scent flowed into his sharp nose and he quickly came to realize it was changing, yet still the same somehow. This subtle change sparked his interest, nonetheless. Going after a slightly more beckoning scent, he slowly reached down, pulled the sheets back, and then carefully slipped his thumb underneath the hem on Ichigo's pants and lifted them up. After leaning in and getting a quick whiff, he realized it was Kurosaki's musk begging for his attention. It was near intoxicating.

Just to clarify, this action was meaningless; completely and totally…

To Grimmjow's…  _relief_ … Kurosaki didn't smell like he'd been intimate with anyone, but he did smell… attractive. His heavy, sweet, musky scent sent a surge through the Arrancar and he backed away from the younger man altogether.

If Kurosaki woke up to him doing what he was just doing, not only would it be embarrassing, but he'd surely suspect something that most certainly wasn't there to be suspected on Grimmjow's part. Also, he had to prevent himself from fucking him while he slept. He didn't respond too well to that the last time he did that.

Now, Grimmjow simply sat on the bed and gazed out the window at the village that was already packed with people at this god-awful, early hour. He couldn't help but notice their way of living was so starkly different from his. These people woke up early to begin their work. Grimmjow, on the other hand, only got up this early to hunt. Otherwise, he'd lie in bed and relax until noon was nearing.

" _Peasants do as peasants do…"_ he thought.

He turned and looked down at Kurosaki. The way the sun peeked into the room and casted shadows on him, but also ran across the smaller man's skin and hair, illuminating them, painted a _different_ picture that the Arrancar had never really seen before. This observation came to Grimmjow just a few seconds before Kurosaki himself even realized he was waking up.

With a yawn and stretching of his limbs, Ichigo slowly opened his eyes and rubbed them. "Hey." He mumbled tiredly at the other man.

"…" Grimmjow offered no reply. He simply rolled his eyes and made to get out of bed.

Ichigo reached out and stopped him by grabbing his arm. "Wait, let's talk before we split up so quickly."

"Another chat? What is it now?"

"Well, good morning for starters. Why are you in such a hurry…?" The orange-head asked, then noticed Pantera sleeping soundly by the open doors that led to the balcony. He wasn't in much of a hurry to go anywhere, it seemed.

"I don't wanna be lounging around all day. And morning to you, too."

After looking out to the volcano briefly, Ichigo turned back to Grimmjow. "Well I've got some things to do today with Nemu." He informed.

"That broad from Seireitei? How can you be working with  _her_? Do you even realize her freaky ass boss was…" Grimmjow's cheeks flushed lightly and a vein appeared on his forehead. He stopped talking and dropped the matter. Why would it even matter if  _Kurosaki_  cared that it was her boss that kept him as a lab rat? It was an irrelevancy he didn't want to readdress. Irrelevant except for the fact that that scientist would pay for his insolence towards a prince someday…

"Yeah,  _Nemu_. Why?" Ichigo repeated, correcting Grimmjow by replacing his derogatory term with his comrade's name. "She's trying to save this village. If we sit by and let that volcano erupt, it could cause a lot of damage. Even to Seireitei."

A cerulean eyebrow rose, "Oh?"

"Yeah, but don't get any ideas about letting that happen. I'm gonna help her stop it not only for that reason, but also because she's a fellow Court Guard who needs assistance. We don't abandon each other."

"How noble." Grimmjow uttered with a heavy air of sarcasm. Espada were usually on their own and had to take care of themselves.

Auburn eyes rolled in annoyance at that remark. "Anyway, don't cause trouble today. You've been good lately, so… you know… keep it up."

Grimmjow's eye twitched. "I don't want to hear that shit! I'm not some dog you're training! I do whatever the hell I want!"

"You're so impossible…" Ichigo said, then looked down to the sheets and brought his hands together. Things like what he was planning still made him feel… awkward. "Hey, come here. I've got something to tell you. And I don't want any possible eavesdroppers to hear it."

Grimmjow scoffed. "Like  _who_?"

"Kon. He doesn't need to sleep, so he might have woken up hours ago to just listen to us." Ichigo fibbed. Only partially, though. Kon actually  _didn't_  need to sleep, but he'd already said he was uninterested in being around them when they were alone together, so the chances of him snooping about were nil.

Grimmjow leaned in, but was surprised when his head was grabbed and he was forced to face Ichigo. "The hell?"

"I slept pretty well with you last night." Ichigo said with a smile, then leaned forward and gently pressed his lips against Grimmjow's. After a few seconds, he carefully removed his hands from the Arrancar's head, all the while hoping he wouldn't pull away.

And to his surprise, Grimmjow stayed in place… for a short while. It made his stomach turn in excitement.

When they split, the Arrancar had his own feelings to voice. "You're such a  _woman_." He stated, then pushed Ichigo back on the bed.

"Yeah, but you don't pull away anymore." The orange-head mocked, and then threw a pillow at him.

Grimmjow slapped the pillow to the floor and made to offer a smart remark, but thought better of it and simply got off the bed. "You just focus on doing  _whatever_  it is you'll be doing today. I'll find you if you get into trouble…  _Maybe_." He settled on spouting, and then left the room.

Espada were on their own and had to take care of themselves. Grimmjow didn't even realize what he just said contradicted that, plus showed that he cared… 'maybe'.

Ichigo looked out the window at the massive volcano that occupied a large portion of the horizon. "Like I could turn my attention away from diffusing this situation." He mumbled as he got out of bed as well. It was time to put Grimmjow and his need for distance out of his mind and face the day. And he hoped that with the efforts being given, things would work out for this village.

* * *

With a pleasure-inducing stretching of her arms, Nel slowly woke from her sleep and yawned. She eagerly took in the bright sunlight filling the room, then sat up and pulled her hair back so it didn't cover part of her face. Despite this morning being a relatively pleasurable one, she did notice  _something_  was missing.

"Where did…" she looked over the edge of the bed and saw Kon lying face down on the floor. Quickly, she looked over the other side of the bed. "Ichigo… go?"

Chile woke up, spreading his wings and emitting fire up into the air; unintentionally, of course. He noticed Nel and made his way over to her. "Good morning." He said.

"Hey there, Chile. I hope you slept well." She told him.

"I slept fine. Thanks." He replied. It was clear that he was just as curious, if not more so, about where his orange-headed human had wandered off to.

"I know you're still getting used to being around us and all. And I know Ichigo isn't always here when you expect him to be, but we're all family. We can be here for each other and not just rely on him." She told him with a warm smile.

Before Chile could respond to her, a knocking at the door sounded in the room.

"It's open." Nel said.

Ichigo opened the door and stuck his head inside. "Hey. Good morning, guys." He said.

"Where did  _you_  slip off to last night? You passed out before I did, so I  _know_  you were here."

"I uh… spent the night with Grimmjow." Ichigo said as he entered the room. He didn't even notice his cheeks were threatening to flush.

"I knew it… Well, we slept just fine here." The girl assured.

"Glad to hear that." He smiled, then continued a bit more seriously, "But as for today, I'm going to do some research with Nemu-san and Sungah and I wanted to know if you and Chile wanted to go with me."

"Hey! What about me?!" Kon interjected; offended that he was left out of the invite.

"Guess after yesterday, nothing else could surprise the villagers." Ichigo commented, then shrugged indifferently. "Come if you want, but if you get in the way I'll take you to the volcano and toss you in myself."

"You. Are. Daaark." Nel grinned as she collected her skirt off the floor and put it on under the sheets where Kon and the other boys couldn't see. "Let's not waste any time, then."

Ichigo walked over to the bed and took Chile into his arms before he made to leave the room. "I'm not sure what Pantera is gonna do, but he was still sleeping. He'll find us if he needs us."

"What about Grimmjow?" Nel asked. She got out of bed and left the room as well, passing Ichigo to go to the bathroom.

"He left just a few minutes ago. I honestly don't know what he's got planned. I'll check on him later, though."

Nel stopped to say something else before she entered the privacy of the bathroom. "Let me brush my teeth and get ready. We'll head on to see what happened to that ice in a few." She said, then went on in.

"Right."

* * *

The young, joyous children who passed by Sungah as she sat at the outdoor patio of a restaurant made her want nothing more than to put a stop to this volcano nonsense. She had been overexerting herself figuring this entire ordeal out. But now, it seemed that the gods had blessed her and the village with a solution. The two scientists from Seireitei and their allies were here to help. And even though they were strange, they were strong. Perhaps, just perhaps, they were the answer to all of this.

As she turned her attention from her notes to her village, she smiled. The lifestyle they had here, their culture, was something worth preserving. And it made her happy that people from outside their culture were willing to step in to do just that.

Just as she turned her attention back to her notes and made to take a sip of her black coffee, she noticed someone approaching her in her peripheral.

"Denma?" she said, taking off her glasses when he reached her. "Good morning."

"Good morning, Sungah."

"Sit with me." The girl smiled.

Denma did just that and glanced over some of Sungah's notes. "You really have been spending all your time working on this…" he noted.

"Yeah. I had help before, but I decided it was for the best that I do it on my own. It's really for the best."

"I'm surprised how proactive you and Onda are… Your parents would be proud…"

"Thanks." After pulling her hair back over her ear, Sungah leaned back in her chair. "How's Onda? I haven't been able to talk to him that much the past few days."

Denma leaned onto the table and ran a hand through his hair. "He's been a bit more aggressive than usual."

"Is that even possible?"

"I wasn't even sure it was until I saw it with my own two eyes… It's probably because of all the visitors we've had."

Sungah took note of the metaphorical cloud that appeared over her friend's head. "I've always been curious…" she began.

Denma raised an eyebrow. "About what?"

"What it's like loving someone who is so tragically uninterested in you. Denma, I didn't want to say anything because I hoped you'd find someone else to give that amazing heart of yours to, but now I feel like I have to. Leave Onda be. He's not worth the trouble or the sadness he'll bring you."

With each word Sungah had said, Denma felt his heart threatening to jump from his bare chest. He swallowed nervously before responding to her. "What are you… I don't-"

"I can see it on your face and in your body language. You don't have to deny it to me, you know. We've been friends since we were kids."

"I'm not… I don't like him."

"I know it's somewhat frowned upon here for you to feel that way. And I know it must be hard for you to hide it… but Denma, my brother… this village… none of it is forever. You don't have to stay here hiding away in shame, and Onda isn't the only guy out there you'll like. The world is so much vaster than where we are. One day, I want to explore it. And if you came with me, I think you'd feel the freedom you've never truly felt before." Sungah looked out to the surprisingly calm horizon, "Sure, this will always be home, and I plan to save it from this tragedy. But nothing says we are forever bound here. We can come and go. Just look at Ichigo. He's from Seireitei, but he's out in the world exploring and looking for a friend." She said.

And just as she said his name, Ichigo appeared down the road in the morning crowd, making his way towards the lower end of the village near the beach. Sungah turned her attention from the horizon back to the village instinctively. Even from their distance, the two of them made eye contact, exchanging smiles briefly.

Denma turned to see what it was that made her smile. "That's the one who's trying to save us… Ichigo."

"He's a good man. Perhaps someday we could visit Seireitei. Someday…" the girl momentarily indulged herself with the thought of experiencing another culture.

"Morning." Ichigo said when he finally reached them, with Nel, Kon, and Chile coming right up from behind him.

"Hi guys." Sungah greeted.

"Where's Nemu?"

"She's already at the site investigating the effects of the frost fusion. I was waiting for you so we could go on over. Also, Chief Sayon told me this morning that the guardians of this land and temple have come out to assist us."

Ichigo nodded, "Then let's get moving. We don't want to waste any time."

* * *

As the ice from the spikes that covered the lava pits from yesterday nearly froze her fingertips, Nemu retracted her hand and made a record of the temperature. All of this would need to be reported to Captain Kurotsuchi upon her return. Of course, she would need to include where the secondary source of energy came from in her report.

But she practically promised Ichigo that she wouldn't reveal what he was doing or who he was with, so she would simply report his presence as a coincidence. He would have to give reason to why he, a Substitute Court Guard, was roaming about the lands when Seireitei was at a heightened state of concern about war when he got back.

"When are the others arriving?" Hozukimaru, the incredibly muscular, dark-skinned, outrageously long orange-hair having spirit copy asked as he finally lost his patience with this documentation. His overbearingly dominant personality had him wanting to force these people into cooperation. To that notion, it encouraged him to go to the volcano and destroy it in its entirety… However, he knew full well a task like that wasn't  _fully_  within his grasp.

In actuality, he couldn't do it at all. But he let himself believe he could.

"I'm not sure. I can't even assure you that he and his friends are still here." Nemu replied, lacking interest in the matter altogether. The second version of the frost fusion was still back at the lab gathering energy. She had asked Ichigo to include some of his energy in a seal and then placed that seal on the updated version of the prototype. However, it still needed time to fully be ready for use.

"This is taking too long. And where is Tenken?"

"I'm not sure. He's probably keeping an eye on the volcano from a close range." Nemu said. After she did, she felt a familiar energy approaching and made her way out of the mini maze of ice spikes. At last, Ichigo had come, bringing his band of traveling companions, Sungah, and one of Sungah's friends with him.

"Finally they've arrived." Hozukimaru commented as he came out and stood a bit behind the calm woman, who was notably much, much shorter than he.

Ichigo reached them and greeted them both. "Hey, Nemu. And… you must be…" he took a moment to seriously consider it, "Are you… Omaeda's Zanpakutō spirit copy?"

Hozukimaru took quick offense to that and stomped the ground, "How dare you insult me like that! I'm Hozukimaru and I'll break every bone in your body for that remark!"

Ichigo put his hand up. "Whoa, I apologize… I didn't mean it that way."

"What a hothead…" Nel commented with a grin. "He's like an overgrown baby."

A vein appeared on the Zanpakutō copy's forehead. "I'll teach you fledglings to make fun of me!"

Just before he made to attack, one of the ice spikes fractured, drawing the attention of the entire group. And if that wasn't enough of a shock, the entire ground started to quiver and rumble.

"HEEEEEEEEEEEY!" Onda's voice came from the beach, a ways off from where they all were. "LOOK THEEEEREEE!" he told them, pointing at the volcano as he ran their way.

Everyone turned and saw smoke rising from the volcano, and then a figure jumped out of it, dashing down the rocks quickly to get away from the crater.

"It's Tenken!" Hozukimaru exclaimed after squinting and seeing that it was indeed him. "What is he doing?!"

Ichigo felt a strange energy coming from the area and quickly tackled Nemu to the ground just before the shards of ice that spontaneously exploded and impaled her.

"Just what is going on here?!" Nel shouted, ushering Sungah and Denma out of harm's way. She looked back to the village to make sure it was still intact. Thankfully it was.

"The lava pits are erupting." Nemu said. She looked up to Ichigo and calmly thanked him for saving her.

And just as she did, an explosion so loud it shook the entire area occurred from the volcano. Not even a few seconds later, a massive rock slowly emerged, moving in a vertical fashion as if it meant to touch the sky.

"Dear God it's the end of days!" Kon shouted, gripping Nel's hair with his cotton paws.

"Ouch!" the girl screamed out.

Ichigo's brown eyes widened when the rock slowly bent as if it were connected to a joint, and then another, larger rock emerged from the volcano. "Is that-"

"That's the demon that's been sleeping in the volcano!" Sungah told him. "It's woken up even though we sent a sacrifice to it six days ago!"

The sky began darkening as it was engulfed in volcanic ash. The ash slowly blocked out the sun and rolling hills of it and the lava accompanying it began combing the lands around the body of the volcano.

Denma fell back onto his rear end in fear, shivering and gripping his pocket knife as well. Sungah was knocked over beside him by a strong gust of wind that was filled with soot. "If we don't do something, this is the end of us all!" she said. "Ichigo!"

As everyone stared up at the volcanic monster beginning to pull itself out of its hold, Ichigo grabbed hold of Zangetsu and walked on ahead of the group. Wind whipping his hair in every which direction, he stared the monster ahead of him down and swore he would do everything in his power to bring it down.

When an opening appeared as if it were a mouth, he gasped in surprise.

"Oh no!" Nel screamed, then summoned her Zanpakutō.

The golem spewed a massive wave of lava at the village, and just before it landed a hit, Nel and Ichigo used their Zanpakutōs to counter it and stopped the majority of it. And even though they managed that, a large portion of it still flew towards the village.

"Rrgh! I can't stop it!" Ichigo roared in frustration. And if that wasn't bad enough, he heard Sungah scream as all the ice exploded and four human-like lava forms emerged from the former pits in a blaze of eruptions. In this instant, he was forced to choose between the village and his comrades. Like so many times before, the world slowed down and all he could hear was the sound of his fast-beating heart.

A decision had to be made. Danger approached from all angles and he was just one person! No matter how fast he prided himself on being, something would have to be sacrificed.

Just as he lifted Zangetsu to  _try_  making a decision, a familiar red ray of light intercepted the seething wave of lava flying towards the village.

Ichigo traced the fading light back to its source and saw Grimmjow standing on a rooftop in the village with the vicious winds blowing against his solid form. He smiled at the bluenette and turned his attention to the humanoid lava creatures approaching his friends.

Nemu got on her feet and quickly grabbed Sungah and Denma, snatching them out of the way of the impending attack.

"Getsuga… Tenshooou!" Ichigo roared, swinging his ebony blade.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lol I hope Sungah didn't come off as a bitch.


	61. trial of volcano

"HEY! You almost hit me with that attack!" Nel shrieked as she ducked out of the way of the dark, crescent wave that had just torn through one of the lava-encased enemies. "Just because I can fight doesn't mean I'm watching my back for my  _comrade's_ attacks!"

"Well, I knew you'd be able to dodge it!" Ichigo smiled at her. He then turned to Nemu, "Can you get them out of here?" he requested, referring to Denma and Sungah.

"I can. I have to hurry back to the lab to retrieve the final form of the frost fusion. We can still end this before it's too late." Nemu replied.

"Thanks! I'll take care of things here! You go and get the fusion doo-hickey!"

"Hey, what're those!?" Onda's voice rang out as he arrived on the scene. Nel knocked him out of the way before one of the lava-monsters could attack him. They were slow-moving, but one touch from them could spell disaster, even for someone with a Hierro like Nnoitra's.

Onda, as one can imagine, was  _not_  pleased with the sudden roughness. "What's your deal?!" he shouted, shoving the girl off of him.

"It was for your own good! A 'thank you' would be the better response!" she yelled back and then got up, dusting her shirt and short skirt off.

"Onda!" Sungah called.

Onda turned and saw his sister coming his way. The instant he saw she was safe, he inwardly sighed with relief. "I'm glad you're okay."

Despite the feeling of relief around him, Denma lamented as his attention remained on the volcano. "We're gonna lose the village if we don't stop that monster…!" he said.

"Oh, I plan to!" Ichigo assured him, then cut down another enemy.

While all of this was going on, Tenken was rushing their way. Hozukimaru saw him and shook his head in disapproval. "Fleeing from battle?!" he shouted at the other spirit copy.

"I'm going to take out some of the creatures threatening the citizens in  _this_  area, you buffoon!" Tenken retorted, fire blazing from his mouth from irritation.

"While you do that, I'll try to defend the village! If we can't stop this creature, we'd best protect those who cannot withstand its attacks! Once they're out of harm's way, I'll be back!"

At hearing that plan, Ichigo turned to Nemu again, "Take the others away from here and do your thing with the device."

"I won't run away from this!" Onda declared, highly pissed that an outsider not only had the nerve to order his retreat, but was also trying to taking control of the crisis.

"Hey, it's Vikter and the warriors!" Denma said, earning everyone's attention and making them turn back to the village.

Just as he'd said, Vikter, Lenn, and the other soldiers were on their way, making a ruckus as they ran towards the action. Their arrival wasn't the best of outcomes, but Ichigo reasoned that they'd be able to hold off these creatures while he went to the volcano. As soon as he started looking around for Grimmjow—who surely wasn't sitting around twiddling his thumbs at a time like this—something darting his way whipped past him and nearly knocked him over.

"Grimmjow!" he called out. From the glimpse of the man that he managed to see, Grimmjow had transformed into his armored form—the one from their fight with the fifth Espada in the desert. Pantera referred to it as a Resurrección, as he recalled.

Grimmjow tore towards the volcano on all fours, his long mane of hair whipping about in the wind blowing against him as he ran. "I'm settling this shit now!" he told Ichigo without even looking over his shoulder.

"Hey! Wait! I'm coming too!"

"Hey!" Nel shouted when Ichigo started after Grimmjow. "Am I supposed to get rid of these things alone?!"

"Use the village's soldiers to help. Tenken will also be assisting you." Nemu instructed before turning to the villagers. "All civilians please follow me. We're going to evacuate the villagers from harm's way."

Sungah nodded. "I'll help start the evacuation! Let's go!"

Vikter pulled his spear off his back and threw it through one of the enemies' heads. "We can take care of this! Get everyone to safety!"

"I'm staying!" Denma insisted.

Onda made to object to Denma's decision, but decided against it. Instead, he turned to his sister. "Sungah, be careful. If that demon spits lava at the village, we won't be able to stop it. Keep your eyes open, okay."

"I don't need you to tell me that! Nemu, let's go!" she replied, pushing her glasses up further on her nose.

"Yes." Nemu said, then started towards the village.

Lenn walked up behind Denma and Onda, "You kids shouldn't be here." She told them as she grabbed their ears.

"I can fight, too!" Denma said, pulling himself free from her.

Onda did the same and pulled a knife out from under one of his pants legs. "If I run away now, I'll never be able to look at the Great Warriors' statues without feeling shame! I'm joining you guys! I'm old enough to be a defender and not just be one of the  _defended_!"

"Let 'em help! We'll be okay getting rid of these things!" Vikter insisted. "Just don't get touched by them or you're done for! That goes for all of us! Now let's keep these things from getting any closer to the village!" he announced to the small crowd of warriors.

They all rallied around the statement, their war cries echoing on the wind, and then started attacking their foes at will.

With a smile at the realization that neither Denma and Onda, nor Sungah for that matter, were just bratty kids who needed protection anymore, Lenn put her trust in their abilities and gave a war cry with her fellow warriors.

* * *

Making perfect use of his Flash Step, Ichigo followed after Grimmjow as lava began running out of the volcano and creeping towards them. The wind whipped through his bright orange hair, carrying with it some of the debris from the volcano that was now heading towards the village. With Grimmjow in his sights, he made a promise that he wouldn't let anything happen to him here like it had in the past. His desire was so strong that rushing towards impending disaster seemed incredibly insignificant to him.

The flowing rivers of lava were simple obstacles for him to avoid, but that wasn't even half the problem he faced now. As he looked up past Grimmjow to the summit, he noticed the head of the golem lean back out of his vision. The next thing he knew, a quaking wave shook the ground as a combination of lava and rocks shot across the sky, heading towards the village.

Thinking quickly, Grimmjow shot a Cero up to cut the wave, which worked in temporarily splitting it. Ichigo aided him by sending a heavy Getsuga Tensho up to cut and slow it down as well.

Now approaching the mouth of the volcano, Grimmjow shifted direction to avoid the tail end of the lava wave as it fell to the ground. He hurried and looked back down to make sure that Ichigo had done the same. When he saw that he had, the Arrancar turned his attention back to the summit and continued upwards. It wasn't much longer before he arrived at his destination.

Unfortunately for them, their efforts to stop the attack were in vain. The wave of lava and the massive rocks accompanying it smashed into the southern part of the village with an echoing boom. The tail end that didn't land fell into the sea, creating a large wall of steam that released a seething sound into the area.

Ichigo continued to climb the volcano, but he had observed the attack and its impact. His blood began boiling at the thought of all the people who were unable to evacuate in time. Even Zangetsu could feel it from how hard he was squeezing the hilt of the Zanpakutō.

Grimmjow didn't even need to look back to know what happened as he continued his ascent. His cerulean eyes shut tight when he finally reached his destination, the immediate spike in temperature being an unexpected surprise for him. It was so hot up here that it felt like he was standing  _in_  lava even though he was still incredibly far from it. His Hierro couldn't even save him from the pain of this seething place.

"KUROSAKI, STAY WHERE YOU ARE!" he shouted over the deafening sounds of the volcano. He'd be nothing short of burnt toast up here.

Ichigo's brow furrowed. "Why?!" he replied. He was practically at the top now!

"It's too fuckin' hot for you!"

Ichigo stopped and looked back to the village, "I can't stop now… not after what happened…" he said. All of a sudden, he felt a massive trembling coming from the ground. Before he could react, something shot out from the earth beneath his feet and sent him flying into the air. He screamed out in pain when he realized it was a part of the golem that had attacked him, and that he'd briefly been in contact with lava.

The world flipped upside down for him as he flew, and he knew there wasn't anything he could do to avoid the ocean.

Grimmjow clenched his fur-covered fist and snarled as he watched Ichigo slam into the water miles away. Irate at the sudden turn of events, he turned around to face the monster causing all this destruction.

When it leaned its head back and spat lava and rocks into the air, his eyes caught a brief glimpse of something. Something glimmering in between the rocks that formed its chest. A sight only he could've seen as it took in air and its chest cavity expanded; the firing of lava and rocks into the air being something it did to protect itself from a threat, which he apparently was.

His distraction cost him a gravely. A large rock hit him in the chest and seared it as smaller ones landed on his shoulders and burned into his armor. "AAAAAAGGGHH!" He cried out in agony and then desperately slapped it away, burning his hand in the process.

Falling heavily onto his knees, he breathed in and out heavily, hoping the lava hadn't burned too far into his Hierro to reach his skin, or worse, his internal organs. There was no way to tell at the moment. Most of his exposed chest was burned.

What was worse, he was still under the umbrella of the falling lava and steaming rocks that were falling.

"F—fuuuck…!" he exhaled. Even his vision was blurring. If he lost consciousness now, he was as good as dead.

So much was riding on his shoulders now. Everyone was depending on him to succeed here. Even his  _own_  future depended on him standing up through the pain and fighting.

It was bizarre that this was somehow  _always_  what it boiled down to—him needing to play hero and save the fucking day.

Yet, deep,  _deep_  inside, he knew this was the kind of thing he thrived on. The chips were down. He could barely move, the burns hurt that bad. Unconsciousness was upon him, begging his body to yield it. Power far beyond what he'd ever seen or imagined was staring him in the face…

Somehow, a smirk found its way to his dirtied, slightly burned, yet still handsome face.

He struggled immensely to do so, but he stood up and lifted his hand, aiming it at the lava golem's chest.

Timing had to be absolutely precise.

Now that the first wave of the seething lava and earth had landed, some of it having landed, it leaned back, indicating that it was preparing to fire another into the air. Clearly, Grimmjow was the intended target of this assault. It was clearly aware it couldn't catch him, given its massive size.

As it sucked in air and began sinking into the lava to shield itself, preparing its own attack, the sky around the area darkened. However, the shift in atmosphere wasn't its doing. This change came about because of Grimmjow, who had begun charging his Cero.

"It's… too late for you…" he managed to say. "Heh… y'know…" his smirk grew as he continued speaking, "I love destruction… more than anything in the world, actually… and this wasn't personal before…  _but_ …" His large ears picked up on the sound of someone crawling out of the water and coughing a few miles away from his location, "Anyone who tries to… destroy what's  _mine_ … is gonna fucking  _PAY_!" he growled wrathfully, his smirk now a very menacing scowl.

Now out of the water and soaking wet, Ichigo put his Zanpakutō on the ground and gasped for air. In the briefest second that he looked up to see what was happening on the summit, he bore witness to Grimmjow's fierce Cero piercing through the golem's chest and a tiny flicker of sunlight reflect off of something.

He stood up, despite the deep burns covering his now bare feet, and ran towards the volcano again when he saw Grimmjow fall now that his attack had finished. "Grimmjow!" he shouted.

As he ran, the sky grew light again. The attack was over and the lingering bits of ash and heavy clouds were also clearing the area. All he needed to do now was reach Grimmjow for this happy ending!

A sudden shot of fire tore past him, heading straight for the volcano.

Just as Grimmjow fell into the volcano and out of his sight, Ichigo closed his eyes, bent down, and Flash Stepped more powerfully than he ever had, ignoring the agonizing pain that doing so caused him. If Grimmjow died, he couldn't live with himself knowing he couldn't save him.

When he saw the same flames that flew by him a second ago emerge from the volcano, he squinted to see what it was. His heart fluttered when he saw Grimmjow emerging with them.

"Ichigo! I saved him!" Chile called out proudly as he descended with the Arrancar, who had apparently passed out completely.

Ichigo smiled and sighed with relief as the two came down to him on the ground. He held his hands out and took Grimmjow's heavy frame into his arms, feeling more than happy now that the distance he was previously desperate to close was now  _closed_.

* * *

"Hey, move faster!" Nel said as she rode on Pantera's back.

The panther growled as he sped across the expanse of land that connected the volcano to the village. Everyone of the village's soldiers were doing fine apart from a few burns here and there. The status of the other villagers who were in the line of fire was still unknown. But what Nel was most concerned with was that she hadn't seen Ichigo or Grimmjow for quite some time even though the golem was defeated.

"We have to find them…" she said, covering her heart with her hand. There was no way she was ready to lose either of them and stop this crazy journey. They hadn't even been together that long, and now it was over because of this nonsense? It couldn't be…

They had so many more experiences to have together!

She caught sight of Zangetsu lying on the ground near the beach and gasped, "Hey! Over there!" she said.

Pantera noticed it when it was pointed out and shifted direction to reach the sword.

Nel quickly hopped off his back and picked the sword up. "N—no…" she lamented, bringing it close to her chest and feeling her heartbeat hasten.

Pantera looked around for any sign of Ichigo. Surely he hadn't drowned. One thing he'd known about Ichigo was that he knew how to swim.

"Hey! Smell this! We can track him by scent!" Nel suggested, placing the Zanpakutō in front of the panther. "This is the only thing left to do!" she insisted.

* * *

A bright color caught Grimmjow's attention as he slowly crept back into consciousness. The bright orange hair that belonged to Kurosaki was unmistakable, even when in competition with the sun beaming down from above. His head was comfortably rested in the other's lap, but no matter how comfortable he was, the pain from his chest still made itself known to him.

"Grimmjow!" Ichigo said, looking back down when he felt the man move.

"Is it-"

"It's over. You did it." The orange-head smiled.

"I feel like shit…" Grimmjow muttered.

"It seems like your wounds are healing… but very slowly." Ichigo observed as he threaded his fingers in Grimmjow's long mane of soft, cerulean hair and ran them through it. "Your armor looks pretty bad, too…"

"Destroying that thing was… no fucking picnic…" the Arrancar snapped.

"I know."

Grimmjow lifted his hand and saw that he really was still in his Resurrección form. His hand, even though burned, was still black and his nails were still long. The armor on his arm was still there as well. "I could've sworn I was about to… fall into the volcano."

Ichigo looked up at the volcano. "You were, but Chile saved you." he told him. "He flew for the first time… to do it."

"Didn't realize chickens could fly…" Grimmjow said with a grin, then closed his eyes and relaxed against Ichigo. In no way was he content with being babied as he recovered, but he knew that he was unable to move extensively even if he wanted to. So for now, he would accept the attention he was showered with.

Ichigo felt the fluttering in his gut as he stared down at Grimmjow. The ensuing purrs that came as he gently scratched the man's scalp made him close his eyes so he could remember the feeling along with the sight. This was something he didn't ever want to forget.

It was then that he remembered something important—a promise he'd made.

"Chile, I'm really proud of you for taking flight for the first time and saving Grimmjow. Now that you can fly, I'd like to ask if you could deliver a message for me?" he asked the phoenix that was lying at his side.

"Of course!" Chile answered, eager to help Ichigo again.

"Thank you. You'll need to go inland heading northeast to deliver it. I need you to find a man with red hair named Kenjou and tell him that his missing villagers are on the island that you were born on."

"Consider it done."

Ichigo watched as Chile stood, spread his flaming wings and took flight once again. "You know how to find me again, right?"

"Yeah, I just need to track your Reiatsu." Chile replied. It sounded simple enough.

"We're going to move on when we're healed and the village is repaired."

"No, we're moving on  _now_." Grimmjow interrupted.

Ichigo stared at him for a moment. Reaching down, he gently ran his hand across the Arrancar's burned chest, earning a litany of vicious cries from him. "We'll move on when we're better," he continued, "The next place we're going is to the north of this place. You won't miss it, trust me. At least, not according to the map…"

"Right! It shouldn't take me long. I'll see you soon!" the phoenix fledgling said as he shot into the air and then flew off in the direction Ichigo had instructed.

"I'm gonna… fucking destroy you someday… Kurosaki." Grimmjow growled.

"Yeah, yeah…" Ichigo replied. That threat was just as familiar as it was empty. He replied to Grimmjow a bit absent-mindedly though, as he looked out to the village in the distance. There was a lot of work to be done, still. A lot. He couldn't leave without offering his hand in the recovery effort.

Since he was unsure about how the evacuation had gone, he could only hope everyone was safe.


	62. blossom unexpected

Standing amidst the dying embers that left nothing but blackness in their wake, Nel sighed. Looking to the houses and market stands that once stood beautifully, constructed by men and women who sought a home, she closed her eyes for just a moment. No, the entire village was not dead. Miraculously, not even a single villager had died—though some were wounded in the evacuation. However, seeing something that was once a feeling of warmth and comfort for many desolated by a foul demon filled her with sorrow.

Standing barefoot on the burned ground, she began walking the main road that led to the higher, unscathed part of the village. Some solace could be found in the fact that only a part of the lower level of the village was burned almost beyond recognition.

A thought emerged—one she was unsure how to feel about. As she understood it, the reason the Sexta position was given to Grimmjow was because he earned it through these means—destruction so severe it irreparably scarred whatever was left in its wake. But by some strange twist of fate, Grimmjow had fought valiantly to prevent the total destruction of the village from happening. It was for selfish reasons of course, but that did not devalue what he had done for this place.

There truly was no limit of the influence the orange-haired soldier from Seireitei, who was still just a nervous wreck when she first met him, had on the people he met. This was the person even  _she_  had come this far to travel with.

In the charred, dust-covered grunge, rising from the ground, something caught the gypsy's eye. So much so that it made her walk over to it.

Miraculously unsullied by the ash and destruction all around it, a single flower stood, skyward despite everything that had happened.

Nel drew in a hopeful breath and held it, having found beauty in the midst of devastation. "It's time to rebuild what was lost." She said as she let the breath escape.

The sounds of voices echoing in the area around her made her turn. It was a bit early, so she wasn't expecting the villagers to be here to begin the reconstruction. There was no point in avoiding them to  _aid_  their effort.

Before she headed towards the sound of the voices, she knelt and scooped the flower into her hands, roots and dirt alike. It was a symbol of this village's perseverance, and she would plant it somewhere away from the destruction where it could continue to grow.

* * *

"I'm surprised to see you up so early." Denma said as Sungah approached him and the few who had woken early to begin reconstruction.

His hair was tied up in a small bun; small because it was never longer than his shoulders to amount to anything larger when tied up. He was wearing a vest and his normal pants that were tied along the sides.

As she approached, Sungah couldn't help but notice something different about him. Something… assertive. "It's my village, too." She replied simply.

"Good, I'll leave the planning and organization to you." he told her. "It's not my thing, and none of us who are already down here are truly great at it like you."

"Where's my brother?"

"He spent his night with the warriors. He's probably not going to be in any condition to do _early_  work, like the warriors."

"One fight they let him in and look what happens… As if it was time to celebrate, anyway…" Sungah said, then tightened her ponytail.

"Celebration of the fact that no one died in the efforts to save the village, at least." Nel commented as she came over.

"One of Ichigo's comrades." Denma observed. "Hey… Was it you dancing on the beach with the fire and lion toy…?"

Nel let a giggle escape. "Nope. Must've been some other talented, beautiful, magical, attractive girl."

Denma squinted, suspicious to no end. "Mhmm… So what can we do for you?"

"I'm actually here to help you guys. My name is Nel, by the way. I don't think we've been formally introduced."

"I'm Denma. Nice to meet you. And while we thank you for the offer, we-"

Raising her hand to stop Denma before he spoke any further, Nel shook her head at him. "No buts. I'm here, I'm capable, and I care about this place. If I didn't, I wouldn't have been out there when the volcano was erupting  _and_  while that golem was trying to destroy the village in order to help you all save this place. I can't sit back and do nothing while others are working hard."

"You're very much like Ichigo, you know." Sungah observed. "I'll take you up on your offer. You can bring water with the first team. Meria, Kurdo, Lando, and Rigah, please go with her. The second group will clear the area of whatever isn't too hot so we can quickly start building again. That'll be Jungo, Selen, and Morga. Finally, the third group will salvage whatever wasn't destroyed. That's everyone else. We'll take this on until the others show up to help. Then we'll switch out for a while."

"Gotta say, this beats waiting around the medical inn…" Nel said as she stretched her arms out, brought her hands together, and then cracked her knuckles.

* * *

Amidst the remains of the destroyed part of the village and sitting solemnly at the foot of the Great Warriors' statue was Onda, making a spear from a thin tree branch. He knew the spirit of rebuilding had overtaken the others, as it was doing to him. But something was holding him here; a feeling, perhaps.

"Gonna sit there all morning?"

Onda looked up from his weapon and rolled his dark eyes as the traveling companion to the outsiders approached him. She wasn't his favorite of the inlanders who had come into the village, but he knew she probably wasn't the worst of them.

Instead of offering a response, he simply looked back down at his spear.

"Who are the people this statue is commemorating?"

Although giving the answer, Onda didn't meet Nel's eyes. "They're the great warriors of our village. It's because of them that we didn't lose the land this village was built on. This happened many years before Chief Sayon was born."

"You're avoiding your friends to sit at the feet of  _statues…_?"

Onda whipped his head up at her. "You know nothing, outs-"

"Do you know what makes a village?" Nel asked. She didn't wait for him to respond to continue. "It's not just the buildings or the people who laid the foundation. It's the people who live in it in the present. When you're old and gray one day, you'll think back to these times and it won't just be these buildings or the memorials you see. The thing you'll see the most is the faces of your friends and family who share your life with you. I hope for your sake you don't look back and realize you didn't spend enough time with them."

Onda watched as she turned and started on towards the lower level of the village where the reconstruction was just beginning. "…" He may not have spoken, but those words weren't completely lost on him.

"By the way," she began without turning around, "Ichigo and Grimmjow fight bravely when there's a battle on the field, but they also share a bed together. Maybe that might help you think twice about feeling like less of a man because you have feelings for your friend—who clearly only thinks the world of you." With that said, she continued on her way, her form near silhouetted by the glimmering ocean ahead, just down the hill.

One way or another, she always had her ways of finding out these secrets.

* * *

With a view of the massive volcano from the window, Ichigo sat on his bed in the room he and Grimmjow had been given. There were a great amount of discussions about the fate of the volcano, from the hospital workers to the villagers below who were busy with reconstruction. And there very well should've been discussions. The volcano had been the source of chaos in this village for a long time.

His auburn eyes remained on the volcano, but more specifically, they remained on Nemu who stood atop it. From such a great distance, no one would really be able to tell who it was if she hadn't told the villagers she was going to use the Frost Fusion today.

Word spread to him about this from the nurses, who were all just expressing their joy about it. Apparently, Nemu wanted to give it more time to mature, so she decided to wait until today. She was needed back in Seireitei by nightfall, which is why it could not afford any more days to mature.

Almost all of the villagers were standing on the beach, watching and waiting; discussing the future that was theirs. A future that was no longer ruled by dread and despair.

Ichigo turned his attention to Grimmjow, who was sleeping soundly in the bed beside his. His wounds were still healing, which was odd considering Nel was around. She had the power to heal, but she didn't use it on them for some reason. Grimmjow's unarmored parts were still regenerating, but they were doing so very slowly.

The sound of spontaneous frost construction caught his attention, and he turned back to look out the window. Nemu had activated the device.

It wasn't long after that that ice began crawling down the volcano, crisscrossing and weaving about as it moved. Even from the mouth, waves of steam rose, which was quite likely from the sudden shift in temperature as the ice dug its way into the deepest reaches of it.

The villagers all cheered and applauded gleefully as the process unfolded before their eyes. Ichigo smiled and lay back against his pillow. Now the struggle was officially over and done.

And now that this was over, he needed to think. First, he wondered where Kon was. Not because he was overly concerned with the plushie's safety. If Kon survived the trip to the Capital and back to Seireitei, that was just luck. It was more his concern for the crystals that Kon was carrying inside him. Thankfully, it seemed that someone brought his Zanpakutō to him, which he had momentarily disregarded in his attempt to save Grimmjow from falling into the volcano.

To think he once criticized him for being hasty when it came to Inoue…

" _I wonder how she's doing…"_  he thought.  _"She's been away for so long now, just like me. I'm sure they're treating her well in the Capital."_

It was true. Inoue was a kind and very inviting person. She could make friends wherever she went, and it seemed like most people genuinely meant well by her.

Regardless, her place was in Seireitei. It was her home. And it wouldn't be long before he collected the rest of the crystals to bring her back.

As of now, he and the others had gathered the crystals of Darkness, of the Jungle, of Lighting Clouds, of Deep Sea, of Island Archipelago, and now they had earned the Crystal of Volcano. That meant there were just the crystals of Light, Wind Valley, Earth Crater, and Ice Cavern were remaining. And Ichigo had a pretty good idea on how to expedite the collection of those remaining. Hopefully the others would go along with it…

The sounds of Grimmjow moaning and groaning in his sleep drew Ichigo's attention. He gazed over to the Arrancar and stared at him intently, watching as his armored abdomen rose and fell so gently. The gentlest thing about Grimmjow was how he looked when he slept. Any other time, one would usually find a scowl on his face and the desire to fight and destroy in his thoughts.

Seeing him like this, so serene and inviting, brought a smile to the orange-head's face.

He sat up and reached out, taking Grimmjow's warm, furred black hand into his own. Careful not to touch the sharp nails, he threaded their fingers together and started slowly moving his thumb over the fur.

More and more he considered what Grimmjow was becoming. There was nary a doubt that he was different than before. But the more he let the thoughts weave about in his mind, he had to accept that he was changing as well. Never before had he been in love. He knew this would damage the hardened image he'd cultivated over the years, unintentionally of course. Being hard was just the way he was. At some point, he became aware of it and accepted it—probably high school.

Now, he was losing that image to this…  _thing_. This thing he fully believed to be love.

Grimmjow forced himself awake, breathing heavily as his electric eyes shot open. He lifted his hand to observe it, then saw that there was a hand holding it. Looking over, his eyes pierced through the other man.

"Kurosaki…" he stated tiredly.

Ichigo tried pulling his hand free. "You have to let go if you want me to." He said.

Grimmjow didn't reply, he simply let go and turned to stare up at the ceiling. "…"

"What's wrong?" Grimmjow hadn't ever been like this before.

"How long have I been asleep?"

"Since yesterday. I… I couldn't carry you because my feet are burned… Eventually you passed out and so did I. I assume it was Nel who found us and brought us here. Then again, it wouldn't make sense if she did because she would've healed us… Or at least me…" Surely there wasn't much she could do for Grimmjow considering his wounds were healing deep in the thick armor he wore.

"We need to leave."

"You're still healing. My feet are still burned. We can't go anywhere yet."

"I can walk and Pantera will carry you."

"…" It was a pleasant surprise, if not a shock, that he was considerate enough to include Ichigo in his plans to press on. "Grimmjow, we haven't been on this journey  _that_  long. We'll reach the Capital soon enough. Stop trying to rush things."

The Arrancar closed his eyes. "Where is Pantera?"

"Can't you use your power to find him? He is carrying a reserve of your energy for you."

"I can't open my Pesquisa at the moment. I'm rebuilding my Reiatsu. It's dangerously low, so sending it out would do more harm than good." Grimmjow replied flatly.

"I'm sure he's nearby. He wouldn't venture too far from you since he cares so much."

"I'm well aware of that."

"For what it's worth, I'm glad you're okay, too."

An unexpected silence hugged the room tightly, unwilling to release it. Neither man looked at the other. Ichigo turned over and looked out the window at the glittering ice atop the volcano on the horizon after a while, while Grimmjow lay with his eyes still closed.

"Likewise."

The sound of that word ripped Ichigo from his idle transfixion with the scenery, making him whip around to stare at the man. Grimmjow was laying exactly as he had been.

Ichigo's mouth was slightly agape as he stared, yet no words would escape his lips. "…"

"Don't seem so surprised. I still need you to get me to the Capital." Grimmjow smirked. "Close your mouth or something might find its way inside it."

"You are so… rrgh…"

Ichigo's flustered frustration only amused the Arrancar. "You're so fun to tease."

"Why do you insist on being such a child?"

Grimmjow opened his eyes and turned to Ichigo. "I'm not the one blushing and grumpy."

"Yeah but you're not making it any better. Children are just as antagonistic as they are fussy!"

"If you ask me, you're  _both_  children." Nel said as she pushed the door open and stepped inside.

"Nobody  _is_  asking you." Grimmjow snapped.

Ichigo smiled at the girl. "Hey, glad to see you're okay."

Nel walked across the room to the window and let her attention be divided between the two in the room and the volcano on the horizon that had just had its fangs removed from it. "No thanks to anyone but myself. I saved you two from the lava flow, as you can probably guess."

"Impressive." It was patronization to the highest degree from Grimmjow. His pleasure, of course.

"Grimmjow, cut it out."

"Well, to be fair, I didn't carry him. Pantera did on his back. With all that armor, he was too heavy for me. Ichigo, you were as light as a feather." the girl said. "And your sword is safe back at the inn."

"Can you still heal us?"

"I already did. Your feet will be fine in a few hours. Did you even bother to look under the bandages?" Nel said before giving a sigh. Her pale brown eyes turned to Ichigo and she shook her head.

Ichigo lifted the sheets and slowly drew in his legs so he could look at his feet. After unraveling the bandages a little and examining the wounds, he wrapped them in place again and looked at Nel. "Thank you. But… what about Grimmjow?"

"He doesn't need me to heal him. He can heal himself so long as he remains in his Resurrección state. If it happens to come undone, I might consider helping him out."

"He doesn't have the Reiatsu to keep his form for much longer."

Grimmjow sat up and groaned. "Where is Pantera? He-"

The door came open a little and Pantera slipped in quickly, holding some meat in his teeth that was quite likely ill-gotten. Ichigo rolled his eyes at the sight of Kon hanging onto the panther's tail.

"You survived... Yuzu would be so happy." The orange-head said.

"You weren't even worried about me! What an awful human being! I can't wait to tell Orihime how terrible you are!"

Nel laughed and sat down on Ichigo's bed. "Does this Orihime's opinion means that much to him?"

Grimmjow's eyes found their way to Ichigo, curious of what he would say or how he would react. The day he surrendered in Seireitei, it was mostly for the sake of that pretty little flower. A fierce soldier, who could fight on par with him throwing his sword down for the sake of another, when doing so gave no certainty for his welfare, was interesting enough to spark the Arrancar's interest.

"If she didn't hold some influence over him, he wouldn't be all the way out here in the east to get these crystals in order to find her." The plushie said.

"Can we get back on topic?" Ichigo asked, annoyed.

"This is the topic." Grimmjow replied with a smirk. "It's what we've traveled all the way here for. Even under the fucking sea, if you recall. And we're still not done..."

"The  _immediate_  topic, which is you getting some Reiatsu from Pantera so you can keep healing yourself. Or do you want to run out of Reiatsu and keep the wounds that haven't healed yet?"

"I've never used a spirit animal as a reserve before. Must've been a new thing given to the Espada." Nel began as she walked over to Pantera and knelt in front of him. She reached out and gently ran her hand across his head, earning a low purr from him as he ate his meat. "How does it work?"

"I don't do anything at this point. I've given him energy over time, which he releases to me when I need him to."

"Is it happening now?" Ichigo asked as he watched Pantera eat.

"You shouldn't have to ask, seeing as my Reiatsu is somewhere in you."

Nel turned and winked at the orange-head. "Primer signo de-"

" _Enough_ …" Ichigo huffed.

"Enough of all of this nonsense." Grimmjow puffed, and then closed his eyes.

Something seemed to strike Nel. "Hey, where's Chile?!" she asked like a worried mother.

"He's out delivering a message for me. He knows how to fly now." The orange-head said with a smile.

"What? That's amazing! It just came to him?"

"He did it to save Grimmjow." A simple reply; one that was packed to the brim with underlying emotion and meaning. The effects he and Grimmjow had on each other's spirit animals were notable. Once upon a time, Pantera tore through Las Noches following Ichigo's example to save Grimmjow from certain death despite having been instructed by Grimmjow to stay out of his battles.

"Can't imagine why he'd do that…" the girl mumbled, earning squinted eyes from the cerulean-haired man lying on the bed.

"We're heading north next, by the way. Kon, do you have the crystals?" Ichigo asked, returning the conversation to the overarching subject.

Kon folded his arms. "Maybe I dropped them in the sea!" This earned him a pair of blue eyes violently staring at him. Kon jumped and quickly hid behind Nel. "Th—they're still in my stomach…"

Ichigo sat up fully and leaned his back against the bed frame. "We need to ask for the crystal Grimmjow shot out of the golem. After saving  _most_  of the village, I hope the Guardians of this place will let us take it."

"Since you passed out shortly after Grimmjow," Nel began, "you don't know that they already gave us the crystal. The village chief was adamant about them letting us take it so we can get into the High Palace." She said, pulling the crystal from the pocket on her shirt. This one was smoothed over, a deep red in color, and when the light hit it, it seemed to reflect black. Nearly going unseen was the tiny warm light glowing gently from the center. It would make a great addition to the growing collection.

"Oh, well that's a relief." Ichigo said.

"Anyway, I'm going back to work for a while. Maybe someone around here will be able to find me a drink." The girl said, hopeful about that last part. After putting the crystal inside of Kon, she headed to the door and pushed it open. "I'll be at the inn by the time your wounds heal. You two can find me there tonight and if reconstruction has gone well, maybe we can head out."

Kon followed after her. "I guess traveling at night is not so bad now that we have the two brooding bed partners with us…" he commented.

Something flew his way and he quickly jumped out of the way. As the glass object shattered against the wall, he rushed out of the room panicking.

"See you guys later." Nel said. And with that, she slipped out of the room and closed the door. The sounds of her bare feet against the wooden floorboards of the hospital quickly died out, leaving only the sounds of reconstruction coming from afar and Pantera eating his meat near the door.

* * *

A little while later.

Denma found himself incredibly busy, sifting through a large pile of charred wood and burned stone. There wasn't much in this pile to be saved, unfortunately, but anything he could find would be useful. No pile could go unsearched.

"Denma! Where should we put the wood that isn't burned?" someone called.

"Sungah said it should go over by the beach!" he replied.

"Sungah's in charge, huh?"

The sound of Onda's voice coming from behind made Denma jump. He did his best pretending he hadn't just been surprised. "You're up pretty early considering you were celebrating last night."

"The celebration continues tonight when the sun goes down. I'm pretty embarrassed that Lenn drunk me under the table, though…"

Denma wiped his hands on his pants and sighed. "You knew challenging her was a bad idea when you did it."

Onda stuffed his hands into his pockets nervously after deciding this was enough small talk for now. "Denma, I'm… ah…" he took in a breath and let it out slowly. "I'm sorry for treating you the way I did… When I was avoiding you, I remembered that you're one of my closest friends. During the assault on the village, all I wanted was to keep you and Sungah safe…"

Walking over to the grass that was shaded by the tiny grove that was climbing the hill alongside the village, Denma sat down and patted the spot beside him. "Come sit with me."

Onda did just that. The awkwardness that he felt seemed one-sided, because Denma was enjoying the shade, run through with sunlight. "Listen… that day on the beach when you were telling me about that shooting star you saw…"

"Oh… right…" Denma leaned forward and looked out to the glistening ocean. "Listen, I'm sorry about that. We should probably just put it behind us. I know it made you… uncomfortable…"

Inwardly sighing, Onda felt his heart pounding as if it meant to escape from his chest. "I don't want to put it behind us…" he managed to say. The fact that this was so hard only proved that he really did feel  _something_.

Clearly surprised at what he'd just been told, Denma stared at his friend. "Wh-"

"I was avoiding you. I was also mean to you. And I'm sorry. I just… I'm not used to things like this… I've hardly had  _girls_  in my life, so you can imagine having a guy come my way was… ah… unsettling…"

"…" Denma sat in silence. It wasn't a good excuse by any means, but it was Onda's.

"We've been buds since we could walk. I don't know what…  _dating_  you would be like, but…" Leaning over, Onda nudged the smaller man with his elbow, "I guess I'm a bit more open to it than I was before. We'd just have to take it easy because I'm not used to dating anyone, actually. …Sorry… I don't know if I'm even saying the right stuff to you..."

"I knew exactly what you were like when I accepted my feelings for you. Trust me, I know you don't have a way with words." Denma got closer and hesitated, but when Onda didn't pull back, he planted a gentle kiss on his cheek. "I guess this is the start of a beautiful thing." He said with a smile.

One smile encouraged another—albeit a nervous one—and Onda nodded. "I guess it is."

Much like their majestic village, still standing tall despite a violent assault on it, the friendship between them could withstand any hardship; and like the village, it could probably even thrive from it.

* * *

Truly, Nel wasted no time in getting back to work with the reconstruction efforts. Most of the villagers were glad for her help. No, she couldn't build anything in particular, but she was offering lots of enthusiasm, not to mention doing a good bit of the heavy lifting.

As the labor continued, many of the villagers grew tired and it was decided that the work would be carried on by some of the other villagers who had been sleeping that morning.

Nel walked along the beach, letting the cool waves run over her feet as she took a little break. She may have been an Espada at one point, but she did have her own physical limits. Years of inactivity in battle had made her admittedly more civilian than soldier…

Her pale brown eyes gazed at the blue, blue ocean reflecting the sunlight off its surface. The gorgeous scenery and the little things most people wouldn't blink an eye at were two of the many things she would remember about this journey.

"Nel?"

The gypsy turned and faced the person calling out to her. "Sungah?"

With her thick, dark hair pulled back in a high ponytail and glasses resting atop her head, Sungah approached Nel with a smile. "How are Ichigo and his friend doing?"

"They were fine just a few minutes ago…"

"Good, good. Glad to hear that."

Nel moved her hair behind her ear to keep the gentle winds from blowing it in her face. "Thanks for asking." She said.

"Of course."

Turning out to the ice-capped volcano, Nel sighed. "Maybe the next crystal we go for won't be this… chaotic…"

"I'm sorry about that." Sungah apologized sincerely.

"It wasn't your fault. No worries."

The look of calmness on the shorter girl's face quickly turned to a much more forlorn one. "It… it actually is my fault…"

Nel's brow furrowed. "What?"

"I… I know I shouldn't have… It was my fault the crystal fell into the volcano. I was in the temple as a guest—a scholar doing some research—by the guardians. I was forbidden from going into the crystal's room, but I went anyway. I just wanted to see what it looked like, I promise! When I broke into the room, something felt off… but I kept on going. I had to know. It was a mystery I couldn't ignore."

"You threw the crystal into the volcano?"

"No, of course not! I was holding it and suddenly the volcano started showing signs of activity. I tried to put it back, but the entire room shook and it fell out of my hands when I hit the ground! I got up to get it back, but the floor split apart and the crystal… fell through the crack." Sungah was now wiping tears away as she spoke, hoping they'd stop falling so she didn't seem so pitiful. "I feel terrible about it. I didn't mean for it to happen. I just wanted to investigate it. And because of that, some of my fellow villagers were sacrificed to appease the monster that was born from my mistake and part of the village was destroyed. I vowed that I would do everything I could for this place—my  _home_ —but I had plans to…" she trailed off, "Onda never would've let me. No one wanted to make sacrifices, and I deserved to die more than anyone who did."

Nel stood silently, watching this generally composed and mature girl fall apart in front of her.

"I eventually told Chief Sayon about it and she told me that it wasn't my fault. She believed the entire accident was just fate. So I decided to do my best to counteract this horrible _fate_ …" after falling to her knees and letting her glasses fall to the sand, she closed her eyes tightly. "Lenn and Vikter know; I told them this morning. They said it wasn't my fault, either. But I still feel so awful… I can't… I don't know if I can face Onda and Denma or any of my friends…"

Kneeling down and picking up Sungah's glasses off the ground, Nel reached out, took the girl's hand into hers, and placed them in her palm. "You shouldn't be so harsh, it was a mistake. Good people make mistakes all the time. No one gets through life without doing something they regret, whether it was intended or not. I've made mistakes, Ichigo has made mistakes, I'm sure your brother and his friend… heck, all of your friends have. We get through life thanks to the people around us, not alone. You did something you regretted and look what happened. The Court Guard from Seireitei came to help, Ichigo came, Grimmjow came, I came, your fellow villagers even stood to fight… It was a group effort. Having the courage to admit you did something and trying to reconcile it is enough."

Sungah clasped her fingers around her glasses and wiped her eyes with her free hand. "I still feel terrible… All this was my fault…"

"If you had given up and sacrificed yourself, then yes, I would think badly of you. Well… I guess if you  _had_  done that, then we wouldn't be having this conversation and I wouldn't know about the crystal falling in by your mistake…" Nel said, then sucked air in through her teeth from the awkwardness. "But anyway, you didn't! You stood up and took charge of the situation. You put that mind of yours to work on how to prevent tragedy, and when the worst came, you got your people out of harm's way. That's taking fate by the reigns if you ask me." She continued, giving a warm smile when Sungah looked up at her.

Sniffing and looking to the village, Sungah allowed herself to concede the idea that she made a mistake, but tried her damndest to right it. No human is perfect, nor should they be. Mistakes will be made, but learning from them and rectifying them as best we can is all we're capable of in this tiny existence of ours.

Sungah smiled and put her glasses back on. "Thank you." she said, letting the taller woman help her stand, "I can see why you're with Ichigo. Birds of a feather flock together is a saying so applicable to your band of comrades."

"Eheheh…. Some more than others…" Nel mumbled, rolling her eyes a bit.

"Take care of them. They'll need your kind guidance."

"The same could be said about your brother and the friend who hangs with him."

"I guess that's true." The shorter girl said with a smile.

"You know, you remind me of a lovely flower, blossoming when the world has tried so hard to keep you from doing so." A clear reference to the flower she'd encountered earlier.

Sungah raised an eyebrow. "Huh?"

"Nothing… Keep being strong, okay?"

"Right, I will!"

* * *

Ichigo slipped under his sheets, growing a bit cool from the ceiling fan spinning overhead. His eyes were also drying out, and eventually he wound up closing them. It was amazing how he'd slept for so long, yet could go back to sleep shortly after waking. Before sleep could claim him, he opened his eyes to take a brief look at Grimmjow, who was lying quietly on his back with his eyes closed.

The last time he'd seen him in this armored form was during their voyage through the desert. Look how far they'd come now… All they'd done… All they'd experienced together.

The saddest part was that someday, this journey would come to an end.

Someday, Grimmjow would go his own way, never to return to him.

Rather than keep this bleak outlook he'd been trying to relinquish, Ichigo told himself that between now and someday he had to make him want to stay. Somehow…

Three familiar words lingered on his tongue as he stared at the Arrancar, but they stayed their position, refusing to be uttered again. Saying them would serve no purpose, really. Though, that didn't mean he didn't want to know how Grimmjow felt about it; about  _him_.

Someone once told him long ago that love cannot be rushed. It would take time if it was to be strong and last a lifetime. Most importantly, even if they  _did_  split up after reaching the Capital, he and Grimmjow had the rest of their lives to continue building this bond. Sure, Grimmjow would likely return to Las Noches, and he would return home to Seireitei, but that didn't mean they couldn't visit each other. It wouldn't have to be goodbye forever, as if one of them had died.

The thought of Grimmjow braving the desert again just to see him made the orange-head smile.

"Grimmjow, I think you should visit Seireitei again someday. On better terms, of course…"

Grimmjow scoffed. "That place is a shithole. Why would I want to visit it again? To clog my already heightened sense of smell with it?" he said, not even bothering to open his eyes.

"For me." Ichigo said, emboldened by the idea of what their comradeship could become someday.

A sarcastic chuckle escaped from the Arrancar. "Your ass is nice, but I'm not in the mood to deal with the Court Guards that safeguard it.  _You'll_  come to  _me_  when I'm king."

" _Don't_  be so sure about that… And  _nobody_  'safeguards' my ass."

"Oh, you know exactly what I mean. There're too many of your buddies are lazing about in that place for my taste…"

"What if I asked you to?"

Cerulean eyes opened and gazed over at the other. For a while, as a gentle silence fell over the room cerulean eyes stared into umber ones. "You asked me to once before. Remember how that turned out?"

"I know… And I'm sorry that happened. But I'll protect you the next time, I swear it. I'd move the sky and the mountains to keep you around, you know. And if you remember correctly, I  _did_  save you from everyone who wanted to see your head in the dirt, detached from your body."

"Tch… You talk too much…"

"And you don't talk enough." Ichigo countered, and then turned over and pulled the sheets over himself. He closed his eyes and sighed. Nobody told him love or the pursuit of it would be easy, and he wouldn't've believed them even if they did.

A little while passed in silence—the ever present silence that was often times accompanied by loneliness…

Despite the lack of spoken words between the two in the hospital room, the world was still communicating its messages.

The birds' fervent chirps were occasionally washed out by the cool breezes dancing across the village. Hammers against nails echoed as well—the sounds of man, unwilling to be overcome by nature. Voices carried, waves washed, the ceiling fan spun, and even Pantera quietly chewed his meal. It was as if it was all meant to quell the ever-present tension.

A temporary paradise of sorts.

Against all the serenities of the day, something surprising caught Ichigo's attention. The sounds of his small bed creaking as something heavy fell upon it, making him pull the sheets back, sit up, and look over his shoulder.

Grimmjow had gotten out of his bed and crawled into bed with him.

All he could do was stare.

He watched without making a sound as the Arrancar lay on his side beside him, eyes closed and calm as the day. He dared not utter a sound, fearful that this rare occurrence would vanish.

And then, something all too familiar happened.

Grimmjow's tail slowly crept around his waist and gently made itself comfortable there. The butterflies that he felt the last time this happened returned, fluttering about with vitality in his gut. Grimmjow's tail wasn't so tight that he couldn't turn over completely, so that's exactly what he did.

A moment like this needed to be treasured… as well as taken advantage of…

Ichigo moved in closer; so close that Grimmjow was only a hair away now. Staring at his sleeping face, he could see that it had almost completely healed now from the burns. Grimmjow was just as handsome as he'd ever been. He brushed his nose against the other man's, reached out and ran his fingers up the strong armor, careful not to touch the sharp blades that extended from Grimmjow's arm.

Leaning in, he pressed his lips against Grimmjow's. He kissed him tenderly, and then moved his hand up to brush his thumb along the thin wisps of teal hair that surrounded his eyes.

When he pulled away, only the slightest bit, he spoke quietly. "I think you care about me more than you realize."

No reply came for that assumption. He knew it wouldn't, as Grimmjow had come over to him in his sleep. He always did unexpected things like this when he was sleeping...

Surprisingly enough, something was uttered.

A little while later, when he felt himself slipping into sleep from the wanting embrace of the day's peace, he heard Grimmjow speak in his sleep.

"I'll go… where I feel like…" he mumbled, drawing his words out.

There was no telling for sure what he was referring to, but regardless of that, underneath all the arguments and fights and qualms that existed between them, it was the little unexpected moments like these that reminded Ichigo why he held affection for Grimmjow.

After contemplating those words, he considered that perhaps Grimmjow was reassuring himself that he could go wherever he wanted in this world… even if he was once public enemy number one at one point.

Perhaps.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I'd just like to bring attention to all the positive feedback being given to this story as of late. It's really helping it get attention, and it's motivating me to write more and even better than before. Anyone reading through it in a few sit-ins or less, I'm glad I can write something so enthralling for you. It's any author's pleasure to keep you wanting more.
> 
> I'd also like to say that the latest Bleach developments with Ichigo and Grimmjow working together along with Nel and the others are falling in line with my story (somewhat), which I never could've imagined. I did it first, though haha. It makes me happy seeing my OTP getting some attention again. And even if they don't wind up together, at least this story will carry on :)


	63. a familiar dance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Warning, this chapter contains mature content.

Evening stars began appearing in the sky, signaling the end of a long day's work. Across Pagunia, smoke rose from the many cooking fires that were blazing. Now that it was time to rest and recuperate, whatever foods could be cooked were  _being_  cooked. Having survived such a devastating assault without lives lost, it was rational that the people wanted to live it up.

But this night was also a time to pay respect to the souls of the young women that were sacrificed to quell the volcano demon, and to wish them the best in the next world.

Ichigo declined some alcohol that was offered to him. His stomach had been bothering him a bit, and inebriation or any road stops on the way to it didn't seem to be the most appealing choice. He looked around the area, having lost sight of Grimmjow, who was just with him. They were on their way to meet up with Nel, who was unexpectedly hard to find.

" _If you follow the liquor to the place where it's most abundant…"_  Pantera began.

"Yeah, I know." Ichigo said with a smile.

The two of them worked their way up the hill, avoiding bumping into the groups of people who were drinking, dancing, and chatting the night away.

Even though the music was giving him a headache and the thought of eating anything made him want to vomit, Ichigo was glad the people were so happy. Disaster really had a way of bringing people together.

It didn't take long to locate the source of the alcohol, and with it, Grimmjow. The owner of the liquor hut was eagerly giving the Arrancar his fill of drink. Ichigo knew he had to stop it before Grimmjow took advantage of this and got drunk.

Honestly, he'd turned away for two whole seconds, and when he looked back, Grimmjow had vanished. Of course, tracking him here was the obvious thing to do. Grimmjow was incredibly predictable… Well, when it came to his interests, anyway. He also had his moments of unpredictable behavior…

As he approached him, Ichigo wondered how long it would be before he could or would enter his Resurrección state again. When the two of them had woken up—ceremoniously when Grimmjow realized his transformation had dispelled—he was glad to see Grimmjow in his normal state again. The Resurrección transformation was not for show, after all. Every time he had seen it, It meant that the situation was serious or perhaps even dire.

Though, he always enjoyed when he felt the man's tail wrapping around him trustingly.

Too bad Grimmjow didn't have a tail in his normal state.

When he reached him, Ichigo grabbed Grimmjow's shoulder and forcibly turned him away from the bar. "Grimmjow, come on. We need to find Nel."

Grimmjow lifted his cup and drank from it for a few seconds, making the orange-head stare at him completely unamused. "Why should I prioritize finding that girl over drinking this booze?"

"Because, if you recall, we have a date with the Capital. We can't stay here drinking forever."

"I haven't seen  _you_  drinking anything."

Ichigo took the cup from Grimmjow and sat it down on the bar, "Thanks, sir." He told the bartender, and then started on his way to the inn. "If you don't come on, I'll go on without you." he said to Grimmjow, not even bothering to look back over his shoulder.

Grimmjow huffed and swiped a glass of rum off the bar before trailing after the nagging man. "What are you so happy about?" he asked Pantera, then drank from his cup.

Pantera followed after them without a word.

"We're not too far from the hotel, so we should probably be bumping into Nel soon." Ichigo commented as they walked the streets. "I hope she's not drinking."

Grimmjow rolled his eyes, "What do you have against drinking?" he asked.

"Nothing. I just can't right now because my stomach isn't doing so well. And honestly, it's not wise to be drinking while traveling at night. We're about to leave." The shorter man replied honestly.

"You ate something bad?"

"I don't know. I haven't eaten in a while… I'm actually surprised you asked…"

"Can't be dragging dead weight around..." Grimmjow replied flatly.

"Just when I thought you could be sensitive…" Ichigo didn't even bother to sigh.

"At least I didn't offer to cut your stomach out."

"Ugh…" Before he could allow himself to get annoyed, Ichigo caught sight of the elusive gypsy he'd been seeking. "Hey, it's Nel!" he said. She was standing at a walk up bar, holding a drink in her hand and talking to some villagers.

There sure were a lot of places to get a drink in this village…

Grimmjow didn't react to finding Nel at all. He wasn't particularly excited to see her. Unlike Kurosaki, there wasn't anything he wanted from her, and her company was more of an annoyance than anything else. Bringing her along on this journey was of no benefit to him.

"Oh, hey!" Nel said. She took her drink up and walked over to the orange-head. "Have you been drinking?"

"Not at all."

"I bet  _he_  has." She continued, motioning to Grimmjow with her cup.

"Of course he has… Oh, hey," he said, looking around the girl, "Where is Kon?"

"In your bag." Nel turned and pulled her hair out of the way, showing off the bag Ichigo had received from Akako. "I tied him up so I could drink without worrying about him running off and getting into trouble."

"Oh, okay. Well let's head out so we can reach the next town soon. If timed right, we can get there by tomorrow night."

"What? You don't wanna celebrate?"

"Saving the village is all the celebration I need. Besides, I'll sleep easier when I've returned Inoue home."

Grimmjow stopped drinking, although he didn't lower his cup, and his cerulean eyes found their way to Ichigo. He offered no words; he simply stared for a moment.

"Fine. Let's go…" Nel said, giving in without any further questions or objections.

Ichigo tried to cheer her up. "We'll have fun tonight. We can camp or something." He said.

"I guess."

"Let's go before the villagers realize we're leaving and try to give us a ceremonious departure."

Grimmjow quickly downed the rest of his drink and spoke. "Yea."

* * *

With the warm lights from the celebrating village filling the area with its glow behind them, Ichigo and the others made their way down the dirt road that would lead them to their next destination. Nel ran her hands along the waist-high grass along the path as she looked up to the sky, counting the stars that were shining against the darkening canvas. She was trailing behind the others, not in any hurry to get to wherever it was they were going next. This adventure, though long and full of surprises, wasn't something she wanted to end.

Her pale brown eyes moved from the sky back down to the three walking ahead of her.

Ichigo was leading them a few paces ahead, Grimmjow walked with a hand in his pocket looking out to the ocean that was further downhill, and Pantera trekked a little ways behind the two of them.

Against the quiet of the evening, their footsteps echoed lightly, accompanied by crickets and the gentle waves brushing against the shore a ways off, parallel to them.

Out on the horizon, the ice-capped volcano sat in its massive glory. It truly was a testament to the adventure they were on—never to be forgotten to this planet or the village of Pagunia.

"In a way, that volcano is proof of our existence." She said.

Ichigo turned and looked back, taking a quick second to check on Grimmjow before looking at Nel, "You could say that. But Grimmjow stopped the golem demon thing."

Nel shrugged, "Well, he wouldn't have if it wasn't for you. No way he'd have ever left Las Noches if he was still an Espada."

"Nel…" Ichigo began.

"You know it's true."

"Silence." Grimmjow ordered, having heard enough of their babbling.

"We don't take orders from you, fallen prince." Nel taunted.

Grimmjow turned and looked over his shoulder. "I can still eradicate you, because that's what you're begging for."

"Oh yeah? I'm more than capable of handling  _you_."

"Hey, enough. The last thing we need is to be fighting amongst ourselves. Nel, don't poke the bear." Ichigo said.

Pantera offered no words for this confrontation. He didn't need to be caught in the middle of his master and the gypsy's quarrel. It wasn't his place to interfere, anyway. He was, however, thankful that Ichigo was the more level-headed of the group.

"We'll set up camp in the forest ahead." The orange-head suggested, then turned and looked at it. "It won't be much longer 'til we get there."

Nel rolled her eyes, a bit irked by Ichigo's defense of Grimmjow… or… his insistence that he be treated so gently, anyway. No, Grimmjow didn't necessarily deserve to be antagonized, but he sure as hell didn't deserve to be babied. If she wanted to speak her mind to him, she felt she had that right. His pride was of no concern to her.

Still, this was making her ever the curious girl.

She would figure out what it was about him specifically that made Ichigo so fond of him.

She also wanted to know what it was that made the universe seem to be pushing the two of them together…

* * *

"Hey, where did you get these tents from?" Ichigo asked as he saw Nel pulling them out of her bag.

"Sungah gave them to me. She knew we were leaving, so she left some supplies for me in my room. It was really sweet of her." The girl replied. She made sure to close the bag before Kon could get out. "I'll set up camp if you can get some firewood."

"Sounds like a plan."

"Grimmjow can help you."

Said man was standing in the tall grass not far from the others, staring out at the ocean. Ichigo sighed, then insisted he could collect firewood by himself.

"Are you sure? You weren't feeling well earlier, right?"

"I'm a little better now. Getting to sleep will do me some good."

"Right, well let's not drag this process out."

With a nod, Ichigo began on his way deeper into the forest. "I'll be back in a bit."

* * *

As a strong, lively campfire crackled on the pile of wood, Ichigo and Nel sat near it, drawing warmth from it. It wasn't particularly cold, it was just a bit cooler than usual. The sun had also started setting, so the temperature was on its way down.

"Ichigo, tell me something about yourself." Nel encouraged. As she sat there looking very fair and delicate, her legs mostly exposed to the open air, she gave off the gentle air that only a woman could.

"Like what?" It was a rather vague request, after all.

"I don't know, something personal. This is what campfires are for, you know."

Ichigo looked up at the sky, or what he could see of it through the canopy in the darkened trees. "I'd like to learn how to cook someday. I don't plan to be a master chef or anything. It'd just be nice to support myself when I finally leave home."

"'Finally leave home'? You're already left. Where do you think you are right now?" The girl smiled.

The smile was returned. "Hmm, that's true. But… I will be going back there, you know..."

Ichigo's slightly faltering smile did not go unnoticed. "Are you happy about that?" she asked.

"It's bittersweet."

"And why's that?"

"Well, I think I'd miss Grimmjow a lot. We're inevitably going to split up. He won't stay with me and I'm not sure how I feel about spending too much time in Las Noches."

"It doesn't have to be goodbye. Though, if I were you, I'd want it to be."

"I know it doesn't have to be goodbye. But I'm getting so used to Grimmjow just being around. Of course, I'll find a way to see him even after this trip ends."

Nel was relieved to see that smile fully returning to Ichigo's face. "I want to ask… What is it about Grimm-"

"Hey," Grimmjow interrupted, emerging from the darkness of the forest that the light of the campfire did not touch. "Where is Pantera?"

"He's lying down near the tents back there." Nel answered, then pointed to the three tents she'd set up ever so perfectly.

"Is that alcohol?" Ichigo asked, looking at the bottle in the bluenette's hand.

"It ain't water." Grimmjow replied.

Nel's attitude towards Grimmjow took a notable shift. "You can sit with us, you know."

Grimmjow stared at the two, thinking it over. Ichigo aimed a small smile his way, attempting to encourage him to join them. "Sure, I'll sit down with you. Where's the food?"

"There isn't any." Nel deadpanned. That much should've been obvious.

"There might be some packaged food in my bag." Ichigo said.

"Nah, it's fine." Grimmjow dismissed, then took a seat near the fire. He sat off on his own, not too close to Nel or Ichigo.

For a while, it was silent. Not awkwardly so, just incredibly quiet. The only sounds filling the night air came from the crackling fire, the far off waves, or an occasional wind blowing through the leaves. Nel's eyes found their way to Grimmjow's bottle—the only thing he was good for at the moment. "I've got a proposition." She said.

Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"We could play a game."

"Let me guess…" Grimmjow lifted his bottle and drank from it knowingly.

"C'mon. It'll be fun." Nel insisted.

Grimmjow was taken by surprise when Ichigo leaned over and took the bottle from his lips. "Wh-"

"Stop drinking so much." The orange-head told him sternly. It had become noticeable that Grimmjow's alcohol consumption was on the rise as of late.

Cerulean eyes rolled. "Whatever…"

Nel crawled over and took the bottle from Ichigo. "Thanks." She said with a grin. After taking a long swig of it, she offered it back to him.

"No thanks… I'm feeling nauseous..."

" _Still_? What is going on with you?"

"I don't know. But after I get some sleep, I think it'll get better."

"…Well that means we can't drink together…"

Seeing the sincere look of disappointment on Nel's face, Ichigo reconsidered going to sleep without spending this time together with her. Since he was on this journey, he figured he might as well try to enjoy the little moments like these. In the future, he probably would regret missing out on having fun when the opportunity presented itself.

"I can stay around for a drink or two." He said, earning an immediate grin from the girl.

"Yay!" Nel cheered, then handed him the bottle. "Okay, this will make it more interesting. We're gonna play a little game."

Grimmjow rolled his eyes. He honestly just wanted his drink back.

A curious smile found its way to Ichigo's lips. "What game?" he asked.

"It's easy. I'll say something that I think happened to you in your past, or something you want in your  _future_ , and if I'm right you take a quick drink. If I'm wrong, I take a quick drink."

"That sounds like it could lead to more than a drink or two." Ichigo commented. He didn't intend to get drunk or even the tiniest bit tipsy.

"C'mon, it'll be fine!  _Grimmjow_  will play, too."

"The hell he will." Grimmjow spat. He made to get up, but Ichigo stopped him by asking him to stay.

"Stay for just a little while?"

The Arrancar huffed, but got comfortable by the fire again. "Get on with it." He ordered, his royal upbringing showing through by his commanding nature, even though he wasn't intending for it to.

"I'll start." Nel said, "Ichigo, you were born first out of… hmm…  _several_  children."

Ichigo folded his arms. "Hmm… I mean that's not completely untrue." He said.

"Here," The girl said, offering him the bottle.

After taking it from her and drinking from it, Ichigo wiped his lips. "I was born first. I have two little sisters, but that's it."

"Aww, are they cute like you?" The brightness of Nel's smile was figuratively comparative to the fire burning between them.

"I… guess...?" The orange-head shrugged indifferently. His sisters' cuteness was never really something he cared to think about. They were his sisters; his  _baby_  sisters. Taking care of them was all he ever thought about.

"I'm sure they are."

"Just drop it… Next person's turn…"

"Okay, now you pick from either me or Grimmjow and make an assumption."

Brown eyes moved to Grimmjow, who was looking off into the forest with a lack of amusement shown on his face. "Grimmjow, you've had someone in your past show you affection. Although, you probably brushed it off…"

Grimmjow turned and stared at the other man over the burning flames for quite some time, unwavering and unreadable. "Give me the bottle." He finally said.

Nel was a little shocked as she saw him take it from Ichigo. "Wow, never would've guessed. Ichigo doesn't count, you know. I doubt he meant himself." She commented. "Who was it?"

"Quiet," was his simple reply, before he took a drink. When he lowered the bottle, he decided to give his assumption to Nel. "You." he said.

"Oh! Lil' ol' me?" Nel joked.

"You were kicked out of Las Noches, which is why you're not an Espada anymore."

This caused Nel to grow notably less perky and playful. "I…" she held out her hand and received the bottle. Lifting it to her lips, she took a long drink form it.

Ichigo was much more sympathetic to her change in mood. "Nel, are you okay? We don't have to keep playing."

"It's fine. Just… buried memories…" Nel's usual perky demeanor was faltering, becoming much more solemn.

"…" There was no way Ichigo was convinced she was okay.

"Ichigo, you want kids someday." Nel said, continuing the game on a brighter note.

"Oh… uh… I guess I've thought about it once or twice before..." Ichigo mumbled, then leaned over and took the bottle from the girl. As he started drinking from it, he wondered if Grimmjow was paying attention to his questions and answers. Whether he was or wasn't, the game needed to continue... He decided to direct an assumption at Nel, "You intend to follow me long after we've reached the palace."

Nel tried to hold a straight face, but she faltered and started giggling. "Well not as a stalker or anything. We're friends! Of course I'll stick around after we've reached there. You won't be getting rid of me." She said, holding her hand out for the bottle.

"I didn't imagine I would." Ichigo said. He was glad he could brighten her mood up again. Seeing her downcast had an effect on him—such is the result with anyone a person considers a friend. And he was also very relieved that Nel wouldn't disappear from his life once their objective was completed.

"Grimmjow," Nel began, "You've been kind of quiet over there. Bored?" she asked.

"This game is pointless." The bluenette replied, said boredom evident in his voice and posture. He then took a moment to look around the forest again. After a few seconds, he noticed the ocean through the trees, a bit far off in the distance.

"You…" the girl paused and hesitated after glancing at Ichigo briefly, "Are just using Ichigo to get what you want."

Ichigo's brown eyes grew wide. "Nel, come on…"

Grimmjow remained silent, his full attention back with the other two at the campfire.

"Ask him, Ichigo. Ask him if he wants to go back to Seireitei with you."

"I already asked him." The orange-head told her, looking into the fire and watching it dance its wild dance.

Nel put the bottle down and folded her arms. "Tell us, Grimmjow. Tell us what you're going to do when Ichigo gets your arm healed."

"I'm going back to  _my_  god damned kingdom. That's the whole point of me getting my power back. You'd understand if you didn't run from your problems and flit around the world like a frightened child!" Grimmjow snapped, standing up and dusting his pants off with his hand. "I don't have any desire to go back to that fucking shit hole of a kingdom Kurosaki fights for. And I don't want to hear another word about it!"

Nel's expression was nothing short of disgusted and infuriated. She sat speechless from shock, watching as Ichigo watched Grimmjow take his leave for the night—going to his tent to be alone. When he was out of earshot, she picked up the bottle and violently threw it into the fire, causing it to flare up. "I can't  _stand_  him! He's such a selfish, no good… UUUGH!"

Ichigo wasn't particularly surprised at what Grimmjow had said, though his explosion about it was new... However, Nel's sudden outburst was a bit unexpected. She was normally so composed and easy-going… "Nel, take it down a bit… It's okay."

"No, it's  _not_  okay! Ichigo, you deserve so much better than him!" she shouted loudly so that Grimmjow could hear her.

"Let's just call it a night for now. We could all use some sleep." He told her as he got up off the ground.

"I'm… gonna stay up for a while… maybe go look at the ocean or something…" Nel said as she got up and pulled her hair up in a bun for a second, before letting it fall down on her shoulders again. "Good night, Ichigo."

"Night. And be careful."

"I can take care of myself. You know that better than most."

* * *

Lying on his back as comfortable as possible on the blankets Nel had somehow managed to fit into his bag along with the dozens of other things crammed into it, Ichigo stared up at the sky through the opening in the tent above. The fact that he could see some of the stars through it as well as the stitching along the lining of it meant it was an intentional design. It would make sense, considering the people of Pagunia were incredibly in tune with the nature around them.

He'd been lying like this for a while now, unable to fall asleep like he wanted to.

Nights like these were the worst. His stomach was still turning, he felt a little weak, and all he wanted to alleviate this misery was some sleep.

Unfortunately, closing his eyes and hoping that he would eventually be subdued by sleep's magic spell had not produced the desired result.

Of course, Grimmjow and Nel's little confrontation a little while ago was a bit of a damper on his mood as well. The last thing he wanted was for them to be at each other's throats. They had come such a long way together. At this point, there shouldn't be any malice or resentment between anyone. Nel had done them several favors, saved their lives, and was genuinely interested in being present during this journey. Grimmjow… had a reason for being here. And it wasn't just selfish. Ichigo had promised him he would get his arm healed.

At the very least, he usually kept to himself and wasn't a burden to anyone.

Apart from his lack of favors for Nel, he had been a key player in the collection of the crystals. Heck, some crystals he attained through sheer willpower alone.

Nel seemed to understand that Ichigo had his reasons for wanting Grimmjow to be with them, but she also seemed to harbor strong negative feelings towards Grimmjow for his personality, which was far from perfect.

Someday, would she see that he was changing?

The ways in which Grimmjow had opened up were probably something one would have to be looking for to see, like Ichigo. Or maybe it was more than that…

Maybe Grimmjow was just changing for him specifically…

" _I wish she hadn't pressured him the way she did about his future plans…"_  he thought with a frown. That was a delicate matter he was trying to handle himself. She had only irritated the situation.

The sound of something moving his tent made him quickly grab Zangetsu into his hand. He released his Zanpakutō when Grimmjow pulled one of the flaps back and crawled into his tent.

"You're sleepwalking again?" he commented, expecting it to be so.

"What?" Grimmjow asked, clearly confused. When his face came into the moonlight that was shining through the opening in the tent, Ichigo saw that he was fully awake and aware of what he was doing.

This made him a little curious. "You're coming to sleep with me…?" he asked suspiciously.

"I'm horny, and you're looking pretty fucking good right now."

Ichigo sat up on his elbows and sighed. "Grimmjow, I can't tonight. My stomach is-"

"I don't need your stomach."

Orange eyebrows furrowed. "That's not the point I was making. If I'm not feeling up to it, then I can't."

"Kurosaki, I know you don't want to deny me. So slip out of your pants and just relax. I won't hurt you."

"No. Back off…"

Grimmjow moved in closer. "You love me, don't you? Give me what I want."

Ichigo's heart skipped a beat. He didn't want to believe Grimmjow had said that. The fact that he was trying to use his feelings to his  _advantage_  to get him to spread his legs was worthy of a punch in the face. "Get out of my tent, Grimmjow."

Grimmjow returned that forceful attitude by pushing Ichigo down and closing the space between them. He grabbed both the man's wrists into his hand and moved them up above Ichigo's head. For a while, he simply stared into those auburn eyes that were looking at him disapprovingly. His cerulean ones gently glowed and expressed the lust in his heart.

He could feel Kurosaki's heartbeat growing faster as he held him down like this.

Without a word, he released the other man's wrists and then moved his hand lower, gently squeezing his abdomen as he worked his way down.

When Kurosaki didn't resist or try to push him off, he leaned forward and rewarded him with a kiss. It was a quick, awkward touch of the lips, but it was a kiss nonetheless.

After he pulled away, he could see Kurosaki practically glowing in the face. Honestly, he was easy prey.

Though, unlike when they'd first done this dance, he was growing a bit more interested in seeing just how much Kurosaki would give in. After all, this love he'd admitted to having meant he would no longer fight. Even Grimmjow knew that in this way, love caused weakness in men. He would make sure to exploit it to no end, making Kurosaki become his in all he was.

"Don't…" Ichigo said, looking away in frustration. "Don't kiss me like that…"

"Like what?" Grimmjow asked.

"To get what you want from me. I'm not someone you can take advantage of so easily."

Grimmjow smirked, as he begged to differ.

Ichigo let a heavy breath escape when he felt the Arrancar reach into his pants and grab hold of his growing erection.

Gently squeezing and stroking Kurosaki was working. Grimmjow bit his lower lip and reminded himself to keep from moving things along too quickly. On that end, he had at least won this battle without even drawing his  _weapon_. Leaning in, he pressed his lips against a reddened ear. "Say it." He whispered as he gently rubbed his thumb along the tip of Kurosaki's member, feeling the precum begin to spread around as he did.

A chill ran up Ichigo's spine as his skin was bombarded with so many pleasurable sensations all at once. "Get out…" he moaned, his words contradicting what his body was saying.

That's not what I meant." Another surprisingly delicate whisper…

"I'm… you…"

Grimmjow released Ichigo's member and promptly got out of his pants, letting his own erect member out into the open air. He then pulled Ichigo's pants down, spread his legs a little, and then laid down on top of him, letting their half-naked bodies touch each other.

Ichigo closed his eyes when he felt Grimmjow's penis press up against his. Instinctively, he reached out and used one hand to grip Grimmjow's ass tightly and the other to grab hold of the Arrancar's soft hair.

"You want me to go?" Grimmjow asked, knowing the answer.

After burying his nose in the side of Grimmjow's neck, he replied. "No… Don't leave me."

"Make up your mind. Do you want this or not?" This was teasing on Grimmjow's part. He knew at this point Kurosaki wouldn't let him go tonight. This boy had become more fun than he ever could've imagined.

"I want you." Ichigo breathed out.

That was the only thing the bluenette needed to hear before he repositioned himself so he was pressed against the warm and inviting hole. Though, he'd planned to do this even if he hadn't convinced Kurosaki to agree to it.

Ichigo felt the tip of Grimmjow's hard cock pressing against him, nearly forcing its way inside him. If Grimmjow left him now, he wouldn't forgive him. Sure, this was the complete opposite of what he'd said when the man had first suggested this, but he didn't care. This pleasure was drowning out any discomfort his stomach had been giving him.

"Are you going to…" he paused, feeling awkward about what he was going to say, "…prepare me?"

"Precum is all I need, kid. And I've got lots of it."

"Ugh… don't call me that…"

"Just relax, or it will hurt."

The grips Ichigo had on Grimmjow grew stronger as he felt him force his way inside of him inch by inch. He even pulled the man's hair so hard that Grimmjow was forced to look up. "Ah… jeez…" he could practically hear Grimmjow smirking.

When he felt himself press against Ichigo's ass, Grimmjow forced his head out of the smaller man's grasp and moved down so he could start biting at his neck. He made sure to stay still for a while, letting Ichigo get used to the feeling of his cock being inside of him again. It had been a while since they did this, after all.

A smile graced his lips when he felt Ichigo's legs wrap around his waist and his arms tightly around his neck, encouraging him to begin. "Don't cum too soon, Kurosaki." He breathed out as he slowly began pulling out.

Ichigo emitted a low moan as he felt it happen, and then took in a deep breath.

Without warning, Grimmjow quickly began moving in and out again. The tightness of Ichigo's ass threatened to reject him several times, but he knew just how far he could pull back before that could happen. Of course he had teased Kurosaki about the looseness of his ass once before, implying that he'd seen someone while they were apart, but he knew that this man was his in every way possible. There was no way Kurosaki would choose someone else as a mate.

And… it was undeniably thrilling to think that such a capable soldier would willingly give in to him like this. Because he held affection for him. Because he wanted a future with him… But Grimmjow's future was not something he was prepared to give to another. He was a selfish man, and he knew it all too well.

As he fucked Ichigo and listened to the sounds he made, he wondered what possible way there could be to keep him like this forever.

Screwing him was a pleasure he did not want to do without.

"Kurosaki…" he called as he continued to thrust himself in and out of said man, his voice just above a whisper.

"Mmm…?" Ichigo replied as he felt the beads of sweat from Grimmjow's upper body fall onto him.

"I won't go with you to Seireitei, but… I'll find a way to fuck you forever."

"…" Ichigo found a special, perhaps unintended meaning in those words, "Then you'll… have to give up on killing me."

Grimmjow slowed his pace quite a bit at that realization. "…" His glowing eyes were slightly wider than usual.

It was a conundrum indeed. How could he continue on without Kurosaki's body if he removed him from this world?

He could think of no rebuttal. All he could think was that he'd find his answer eventually. For now, he would enjoy this moment.

Ichigo smiled and brought his right hand down and began stroking himself. He never could hold out for as long as Grimmjow, which is why he waited so long to begin. He timed himself with Grimmjow's movements, wanting nothing more than to be in sync with him; to feel him so perfectly that this feeling would be etched into his memory forever. Deep down, he knew that Grimmjow felt the same. He knew that he would always seek him out, even if it was only for this familiar dance.

And that was a stepping stone for sure. They would eventually take the next step and work their way to an actual relationship.

Grimmjow suddenly moaned out with his eyes closed, and Ichigo could feel his cum filling him up. There was an incredible amount, because he was still ejaculating when he pulled out. It managed to make it all the way up to his face and chest, and he started stroking himself even faster so he could join Grimmjow, even if it was for just a few seconds.

With one final pleasurable stroke, he came, shooting into the air and all over Grimmjow's stomach.

Breathing heavily, he closed his eyes and let his arms fall onto the blankets.

Although he was comfortable, he quickly realized that Grimmjow wasn't moving at all. He opened his eyes and saw the Arrancar staring at him through heavy-lidded eyes. He was sitting on his heels, regulating his breathing. Ichigo gave him a smile and beckoned him forward by opening his arms.

"Pansy." Grimmjow said, rolling his eyes. Still, he leaned forward and licked Ichigo's face clean of the mess he'd made on it. After running his hand over the other's forehead to move the bangs away, he rested it there as he got comfortable on his chest.

Ichigo closed his eyes as he hugged the larger man warmly. The pain in his stomach had subsided—it had actually done so after they started this romp—and he wanted Grimmjow as near to him as possible. He felt Grimmjow's hand move from his forehead and fall beside him, which encouraged him to speak. "I promise we'll get your arm healed."

"Yeah, you told me."

With Grimmjow's head rested against his chest, he planted his nose and lips in that cerulean hair of his. "I love you." he said.

Grimmjow drew in a breath and then let it out slowly. "You told me that, too."

"…Go to sleep…"

"Don't want me to get out?"

"O—of course not. Not anymore… I'm feeling better, and you know I like having you around.  _Most_  of the time. Just listen to the things I say to you."

"You're feeling better  _because_  I didn't listen." Grimmjow said with a smirk as he let the gentle heartbeat thumping against his ear begin lulling him to sleep. He didn't mind this closeness  _so much_ anymore, especially when it meant Kurosaki would treat him this way. Of course, he'd never admit that to him. It would surely put the wrong idea in his spiky orange head.

If only he could get him to go along to Las Noches when this was all over... Then every night would be this  _eventful_ …

He didn't recall much after lying down on Kurosaki's chest and falling asleep, although he did hear him say something about being glad.

* * *

Seated near the edge of the cliff at the forest's end and staring out at the ocean was Nel, and she was much more at ease now than she was before. She had been sitting in place for a while, just watching the waves under the moonlight. Of course, she wanted to spend some more quality time with Ichigo, but he had called it a night already.

Her will to be with him didn't stem from any romantic desires, and she wasn't using him for any reason. The thing about Ichigo was he was a genuinely good person, someone she truly enjoyed being around. From the time they first spoke and the night they spent drinking and celebrating with the gypsies until now, she'd come to accept that he was her best friend.

She did feel bad for exploding the way she did in front of him… But hey, for someone to be called a friend, they would need to know you for all you are. Besides, the reason she'd done that was for him.

" _Of all the people in the world, you had to fall for someone who was an Espada… Not a single one of them truly knows what love is, and they don't seek it, either."_  She thought as she pulled her legs up to her chest and rested her chin on her knees.

"Hey, Nel."

The sound of Ichigo's voice caught her off-guard. She turned and saw him approaching, coming out from the darkened forest into the pale moonlight.

"Hey Ichigo." She replied, lacking in the enthusiasm she normally emitted when speaking to him.

"I can't believe you're still out here. Thought you'd be asleep by now…"

Nel watched as he came and took a seat beside her, letting his feet hang over the cliff. "I wasn't going to stay out here that much longer."

"I was actually just coming to get some air and take in the sights." Ichigo laid back in the grass and closed his eyes, letting his guard down completely. "You feel alright?"

"Of course I do."

"Really?"

The girl sighed a gentle sigh. "It's just… I'm not happy when I see Grimmjow walking all over you the way he does. It's not right."

Ichigo opened his eyes again and stared at her. "Is that how it looks?"

"Yes, I can guarantee you that's how it looks."

"Well, it's not that way at all. Grimmjow doesn't walk all over me. If I have a problem with him, I let him know. We're pretty straightforward with each other."

"I just want to know… Why… How could you love him? He doesn't treat you like someone he loves. He couldn't because of the way he was brought up. Espada are trained day in and day out when they are selected for the rank, and they're chosen young. Schooling is practically nonexistent except when it is requested. All there is is training. So none of them know what love is. There's no way they could because contact with other humans is incredibly limited. Fighting is all an Espada ever truly knows."

"Well, you're in tune with things and you were an Espada. You seem to recognize affection." Ichigo told her, clearly referring to her having teased him for all this time about whatever it was he had going on with Grimmjow.

"That's… Well I've been out of the Espada ranks for a long time now, so I've had exposure to the world and the people in it. And sure, I teased you before, but that was just teasing. I am truly unsure of why you could feel the way you do about Grimmjow. Especially having spent time around you two…"

"He's… not always so abrasive and hateful. He has his moments; moments where he is considerate and even surprisingly warm. I didn't catch feelings for him because he fucked me. Actually, I hated him for that in the beginning. But I grew to care about him from fighting against him and fighting alongside him. Watching him suffer made me suffer more than I ever thought I could… He has ambition, he's a very capable fighter, and he has the instincts to survive any battle. If I can stay with him, I imagine life would always be… really fun." Ichigo smirked, "Well, his looks are definitely one of his better features that I like. He comes off as hard to deal with and standoffish… but you haven't seen the little moments where he truly does show he trusts me and even needs me as much as I want him. I can't really explain it. It just feels like we were meant to find each other."

"…"Nel refrained from saying anything. Instead, she simply observed how full of passion Ichigo was when he was describing his unusual relationship with the former Sexta.

"Please go easy on him, Nel. As someone who was once an Espada, you should understand why he is the way he is better than most people, right?"

"I…" she pulled a lock of her long hair over her shoulder and twirled it, "I guess that's right… So you really do want to share your life with him? Like, forever?"

"Yep." Ichigo replied with a smile.

"… And how is it going?"

"How is what going?"

"Have you talked to him since you told him how you feel? I suppose you must have if he already declined going to Seireitei with you…"

"I'm giving him time to think it over."

"You're such a silly man."

An orange eyebrow rose, "Why do you say that?"

"If you're 'straightforward' with him like you said, then just ask him out. Have you even tried that?"

"No, I haven't. I don't wanna force myself… on…" Ichigo paused and realized he had every right to at least be more forward with Grimmjow, considering the forceful nature Grimmjow had when they first met… and even still had until this day. "Wow…"

A grin found its way to Nel's face. "You gonna do it?"

"I don't know. I've never actually dated anyone."

"First time for everything. We're going to a pretty big town next, right?" The question was answered with a nod. "Then there should be a nice place for you two to go out. Just ask him. The worst he can say is 'no'."

"That's true…" Ichigo felt himself growing a little warm at the thought of it. Maybe if he just let it come out naturally instead of planning it out it would be easier…

"It's settled! You and Grimmjow will go out on a date before we leave the next town!"

"You know, the crystal is more important than a  _date_ …"

"No excuses. If you want something, go for it! Life's too short to sit by and just hope things will go your way."

"Alright, alright. I'll do it. I'll ask him on a date." Ichigo said, embarrassment evident from the slight redness of his cheeks. "You certainly have changed your tune about him…" he mumbled under his breath.


	64. crestown tales

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning! This chapter contains mature content.

Trying his best to ignore the prying Nelliel as the group made their way towards the ever nearing town of Crestown, Ichigo stared ahead at Grimmjow's powerful backside. Thanks to leaving out early today, the trip to town didn't carry into the night as they had expected it to. Instead, the evening had just caressed the day with its gentle flow.

Nel had asked several times today if he'd asked Grimmjow out—like a man.

Her question came at any and every opportunity the two of them wound up alone, and Ichigo was growing a bit frustrated because of it. Yes, he said he would ask Grimmjow out. But he wanted to time it right. He wanted to wait until they were at least in the town.

Now that it was approaching, its softly glowing lights and remarkable size identifying it as a town of ensured entertainment, he felt like he would do it, like he _could_ do it. If nothing else, he'd do it to get Nel off his back about it.

In his mind, Ichigo realized he must've been becoming more and more like the calculating Ishida. Before asking Grimmjow if he wanted to go out, he needed to be sure the situation was appropriate, that the mood was right, and that his intended would say "yes".

Still, he wasn't sure what Grimmjow would say. And this made each step towards Crestown more difficult to make than the last.

"Do I need to ask Grimmjow for you?" Nel whispered, making Ichigo whip around to face her. Not that she wanted to, considering how she wasn't in the mood to talk to him.

Ichigo could feel his cheeks warming, "Don't! Jeez, I don't need you to push me like that…"

Pantera, who was walking behind everyone on the road that led into town, could hear everything that what was being said. He was well aware of this plan to "ask the Grumpasaurus Rex out", and had been since this morning. Instead of becoming involved, he decided he would just wait and see what Ichigo would do.

And what he'd seen all day was Ichigo blushing, Ichigo brushing off Nel's incessant questions, and Ichigo avoiding being too close to Grimmjow.

It was rather amusing.

Humans were pleasantly interesting, that was something he'd come to understand ever since he met Ichigo. That notion was only further proved when Ichigo was placed in these unexpected situations with Grimmjow and the gypsy girl Nelliel.

When he saw Grimmjow turn and look over his shoulder at Ichigo and Nel, he was curious himself about how his master would respond to being asked out on a date. The entire concept of a date seemed far too civil and meaningful for Grimmjow. Anyone who really knew him knew that if fighting or fucking wasn't involved, Grimmjow wasn't likely to comply or consider it relevant.

"Okay, jeez!" Ichigo said, then turned and went on to catch up with Grimmjow. "Hey, Grimmjow…" he called.

"What?" said man replied simply, catching a glimpse of Ichigo through the corners of his eyes.

"I was wondering…" Ichigo paused as they came into the city limits. He definitely wanted to take in the many sights, this place was booming with lights and majesty, but this was something he needed to do. He kept his attention focused on Grimmjow. "Do you want to go out with me tonight? As in, getting dinner and maybe doing something after? Like a… date?"

Grimmjow turned and stared at the slightly shorter man for a little bit, before looking off into the town. "I was planning to find my way into the famous red-light district. It's even bigger than the one in Las Noches, and I need a woman, Kurosaki."

Ichigo stopped dead in his tracks, a bit shocked and no less hurt by that. Was that some indirect way of turning him down? "What? Grimmjow, what about when I told you to stop seeing random people?"

Grimmjow stopped as well, turning to face Ichigo. "I did. But after a while, I realized you're not going to stop me. You just want me to respect your feelings, which was something I never asked you for in the first place. Now, I'm not saying I plan to stop fucking _you_. I just want some fun tonight since we probably won't be collecting the crystal the second we step into this town. I haven't been inside a woman in a while, and I need it."

"I…" Ichigo's hands were now gripping the straps of his booksack tightly. "You're not doing this to me. Just what the hell am I to you, anyway?" The question finally came out; one he'd wanted to ask for so long. It sounded like he wasn't good enough on his own to keep Grimmjow's interest. To someone who wanted a future with him, this made him question his overall significance in Grimmjow's life.

"You're my mate." Grimmjow replied simply. "I might go out and fuck other people, but your ass is mine."

"Are you trying to make me mad?"

"Kurosaki, maybe you should get a woman, too. Do you even know what a red-light district is like?"

"I know enough. I don't _want_ a woman, Grimmjow."

"Why don't you want a woman?"

"Do I really have to answer that? Sex isn't something you should have meaninglessly. And I asked you out because I want _you_ … or at least…" Ichigo felt like his own feelings were wavering. "I thought so…"

"It's not meaningless. I'm going to have fun."

"I _just_ asked you to go out so we _could_ have fun."

"Yeah, I know. But this city has a shit-ton of gorgeous women who are said to have some of the best sex a man could ever ask for. Besides, I don't know what it is, but I can't be around you right now. You're not putting off any pheromones."

"Grimmjow, don't walk away from me. You don't have to go out with me, but don't go find some random woman to see."

"I told you what you are to me. Now stop being so clingy and go have some fun of your own." Grimmjow dismissed as he started walking again. "Pantera, stay with these two." He told his panther, who was standing a ways back with Nelliel.

Ichigo watched as Grimmjow went on his way, not uttering another defiant word. There was nothing more to say here, really.

This truly wasn't as big a surprise as it was a few moments ago. Grimmjow always did what he wanted. He always _took_ what he wanted from people. Just like when they spent their first nights together in Las Noches. Just like their fight in Seireitei. Just like last night…

Grimmjow always acted for himself.

"Hey, what happened? Where is Grimmjow going?" Nel asked as she came up to Ichigo. She'd stayed a bit further back to give the two of them some space.

"To have fun."

"And you're… not going with him becaaaause…?"

"Grimmjow wants a _woman_." Ichigo dismissed as he headed to the nearest business. He stopped someone and asked for her assistance. "Excuse me, can you tell me where my friend and I can find rooms for the night?"

"Oh," the woman smiled at him and pointed off towards the center of the city. "There are lots of hotels in that direction. It's the town square… more or less called the entertainment district."

"Thank you, miss." The orange-head said as he took his leave from her.

"Wait, did you ask Grimmjow out?" Nel asked as Ichigo came back to her. "And he told you that?"

"Please just leave it be." Ichigo told her. He didn't want to talk about it anymore. All he wanted was to find somewhere to go and sleep. In the morning, he could figure out where the temple was so he could go and see the spirit guardian.

"…Okay, alright. Mhmm, yeah. No big deal. I'll leave it be." Nel said, doing as she was asked. Quietly, she followed Ichigo down the street and through the town. Grimmjow would pay for this. Of that she was sure.

* * *

The Tale of Grimmjow Jaegerjaques.

Cerulean eyes wandered over the many people wandering about in this town. Grimmjow observed his surroundings as he made his way towards the entertainment district, which he only found out about after forcing a mascot to tell him where he could find some pleasure tonight.

This town was much more alive than what he was used to, or liked for that matter.

The people were endlessly walking up and down the sidewalks, horse-drawn carriages went cluttered the streets, the lights and plants were meticulously placed near stores on his way… This place really was too active.

It reminded him of Seireitei.

Las Noches was far different than this. Las Noches was what he was used to.

On his way to his destination, he couldn't help but notice people staring at him. He knew it was because of his skeletal mask. Earthians always stared at him because of it. If he wasn't wearing a cloak, they'd surely be staring at his missing left arm as well.

With an annoyed huff, he pulled the cloak back on his right side and rested his arm on his Zanpakutō. It was meant to get people to leave him alone, but it to his surprise, it drew more attention to him.

Grimmjow wasn't the brightest star in the sky…

" _If Kurosaki were here, I guess I'd look less conspicuous…"_ he thought, now realizing he should have brought him along.

Yes, this place was far different than Las Noches.

In his home kingdom, his mask was revered as a symbol of power. All Arrancars' masks were. They were symbols of a supernatural power so far beyond Earthian comprehension that anyone without a mask could only pray for their survival and be thankful for a peaceful coexistence.

Here, he was stared at like some sort of freak because of it. It was the same everywhere he went that wasn't Las Noches, really, but for some reason, here it was much more noticeable.

Of course, he didn't consider it as he tried to avoid staring at all the curious eyes, but there was someone who accepted him just the way he was. Someone who loved him just the way he was.

"Sir, what's that on your face?" a child came up to him and asked, pointing at him like he was some kind of animal.

Grimmjow was so shocked at the boldness of this child that he couldn't give a threatening reaction like he normally would have.

"Christon, that was very rude!" a woman said as she came over and protectively grabbed the child. She cautiously and briefly stared at Grimmjow before quickly retreating from his vicinity.

That was enough of this.

Grimmjow bent his knees, earning everyone's attention, drew in a deep breath, and used a quick burst of Reiatsu to shoot his way through town, knocking over a great number of peasants in his wake. He let a manic cackle escape as he heard them screaming out in confusion and fear from the sudden phenomenon. He knew he'd left a mark in the pavement where he started off—a lasting reminder to those asswipes of his unbelievable power.

~O~

The red-light district was much easier to find than Grimmjow thought it would be, since he was practically soaring through town. It wasn't actually in the entertainment district like the mascot had told him; it was just outside of it. Perhaps that was because he conveyed terms to him that were of a more general nature to the kind of pleasure he was seeking.

Upon arrival, he was invited into the district by the austere and calculating guards. He walked by them challengingly, wishing they'd move against him. His entrance went undisturbed, however, and he began his search for a night of pleasure. The red lit lanterns lined the edges of the rooftops—the primary source of lighting in the area. As he walked the streets, Grimmjow observed the promiscuous cats sitting in the windows, staring and calling out to the men walking about.

Many of the women here, unlike the townspeople from before, were staring at him lustfully. Some of them made promises to him that he'd never want to leave their arms, or how they'd give him a night he wouldn't forget.

As anyone who knew Grimmjow would know, he enjoyed having his ego stroked. Drawing attention for his looks alone, despite his obvious skeletal mask, was boosting him up.

"Quite exotic, come see me." A woman told him.

Those words caught Grimmjow's attention, and when he looked up and saw her, he was charmed by her gorgeously powdered face, her beautifully tied brown hair, her intricately knitted silk robes… everything about her was calling his name.

Grimmjow wasted no time in entering the establishment. Ignoring the bright and vivacious color designs that filled the lobby to the brim, he marched straight to the front desk and requested the woman who'd called out to him.

"Alright, sir. That'll be two hundred golden coins." The short, balding, and overly welcoming manager said. Shortly after, he noticed Grimmjow's sword resting under his cloak. "We'll need to hold on to your weapon if you intend to see a woman tonight." He informed.

"What for?" Grimmjow asked.

"Security reasons. We can't have anyone hurting our women, or trying to disrupt the flow of business we have here. You understand."

Grimmjow smacked his lips, but handed his precious Zanpakutō over to the man's thick-fingered hands. It wasn't like he couldn't retrieve it if he wanted to. "I want the one with brown hair and the sakura-patterned kimono." He said.

"Oh, Hana… Well, she'll be extra. Best girl in the house, I assure you."

"What?" Grimmjow didn't have any money to spend. It was a sudden and unfortunate realization.

"If you don't have any money," the manager began, seeming to be aware of the situation without needing to be told, "We could give you several nights for free if you offer us this lovely sword of yours."

"Don't joke with me. I'm the fifth prince of Las Noches. I don't make deals with peasants. I tell you what I want and you comply." Grimmjow said, slamming his hand down on the desk.

"Sir… Sire… _whoever_ you are, I suggest you understand that your rank in a kingdom many, _many_ miles away has no bearing on your business in a town that is unaffiliated with... Lost Matches? If you don't have any money, I suggest you leave this place-"

"It's okay." A delicate voice came from the stairwell off to the left. "Let him in to see me. I'm curious about this prince. He's a little treasure box just waiting to be opened."

Grimmjow recognized the woman's voice as the one who beckoned him into this place. When he saw her come and lean over the red, wooden railings, he remained calm and collected.

"Hana, you never take a customer who hasn't paid…" the manager commented as he took Grimmjow's sword into a back room and then came back empty-handed.

"What can I say," Hana said, "I want to taste the fruit of the desert kingdom. I've never been, and who better than a prince to indulge me?"

The manager grumbled a few things as Grimmjow smugly carried himself to the stairs and climbed them.

Grimmjow allowed himself to be guided down the hall by the gentle hand groping his right arm under his cloak.

~O~

"What's your name?" Hana asked as she closed the door to her room and made her way over to a desk, where she picked up an incense burner and lit it. Carrying the tiny flame around the room, she lit several candles and on her way back to the desk, she turned off the lights.

Grimmjow walked over to the bed and took a seat. "I guess in battle a person introduces himself so that the person he kills knows his name… The same could be said of fucking a woman; so she'll always remember the name of the man whose technique made every man she'd ever met or will meet feel second best."

"Oho, you're confident." After dropping her robe, she sashayed over to Grimmjow and straddled his hips. "What's your name?" she asked again. "I can tell I'll be remembering this night for all of my days."

"Grimmjow." The Arrancar replied, allowing himself to be laid down on the soft bed.

Hana smiled and glided her hand down her body, gently squeezing her right nipple before continuing downwards. "Mmmm… I can tell you're well-endowed." She said with a smile.

Cerulean eyes were glued to her hand as it went even lower and delicate fingers rubbed against the smooth skin between her legs. He grinned as she pressed them against her entrance and a smooth pre-ejaculate escaped.

She didn't tease him for long, though. When she reached out and moved his cloak out of the way to take the hem of his pants, Grimmjow raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you supposed to draw this out?"

"Oh, I will." Hana ensured, then undid and completely removed his pants from him so he was exposed to the world. Leaning forward, she pressed her bare skin against his and slowly rocked her hips.

In the process, she ripped his shirt off and let their bodies fully be against one another—man and woman as they should be.

This induced a low moan from Grimmjow. He closed his eyes and let her trail gentle kisses along his neck, feeling her hands run through and grip his hair as she did.

Closer and closer, Hana teased Grimmjow by letting his erect cock rub against her increasingly moist vulva. Reaching down with one hand, she took hold of Grimmjow's member so it almost made its way inside of her with each back and forth motion she made. Yes, she knew exactly what she was doing to this prince.

"Will you cum inside me?" she asked, implying that's what she wanted.

"I thought you wanted to taste it?" Grimmjow countered as he reached down and ran his fingers between her soft ass cheeks. Unlike Kurosaki, she didn't have a single hair down there…

"You'll have to go a few rounds with me, then. I want it in-UUGH!" she moaned and closed her eyes as Grimmjow unexpectedly forced himself inside her at just the right moment. "You weren't… supposed to do that…" she gasped as he started moving in and out.

"Don't tease me or that's what you get." Grimmjow told her.

"Use me as you wish, my beautiful prince… I…" she moaned and tightly wrapped her arms around his neck. "I want to remember this night for the rest of my life. So…"

"So what?" Grimmjow taunted as he sped up his pace. This amazing feeling was enough to make him close his eyes and allow himself the unexpected pleasure of seeing Kurosaki's orange head of hair pressed against his neck. He was so captured in the moment that he even turned so he could rest his nose in that familiar wildfire. To his shock, causing him to open his eyes and remember where he was and whom it was he was with, he was met with long flowing hair that was overwhelming with the scent of perfume.

"Please… Cum inside me… As much as you want!"

Just as Hana declared her wish, a sound resembling a tapping at the window echoed in the room.

Grimmjow immediately stopped and glanced over when he saw something that looked like a string moving back and forth against it. The way it was moving, it looked like some kind of antenna…

Hana shot up and forced Grimmjow out of her. "Foul monsters…! Joe! They're back!" she shrieked at the top of her lungs.

Grimmjow sat up when he saw something very large and black, resembling some kind of prickly insect crawl over the window. He could feel that this creature had some form of Reiatsu, and he could see that it was at least the size of a person… if not larger.

A resounding hiss interrupted the night, and Hana fell to the floor. When she saw Grimmjow shoot up and dash for the door, she cried out to him. "Don't leave me!" she said, getting up and chasing after him desperately.

Grimmjow, having left his clothing in Hana's room, jumped over the railing and landed like a cat on his feet in the lobby. Whatever exposure he had given the scrambling people in the building vanished quickly as the cloak wrapped around his neck covered him again. He sprinted over to the front desk and quickly retrieved his confiscated Zanpakutō.

"Where are those things coming from?!" he asked the manager, who was ducked out below the desk.

"The mines! Those stupid miners don't know how to kill the damned things, but they dig all day anyway! Even if it's not close to the nest, they can still feel the disturbances in the earth!" he cried.

Grimmjow ran and hurdled the desk, making for the front door.

"Wait! You can't leave me!" Hana ordered, looking broken down and wanting, "You promised me a night I'd never forget! I want…" Grimmjow raised an eyebrow when a tear rolled down her cheek. "I want to have your little prince or princess… Don't walk away from me!"

"…You're not the type of person I'd ever want raising my brat. Besides, what makes you think I _want_ a kid, anyway?" he said, then dashed out of the cathouse.

The creature that had crawled over the window was retreating across the rooftops, hissing and screeching as it did. Grimmjow jumped up onto the roof and gave chase to it, giving no regard to his nakedness beneath his cloak, on a mission to find the mines.

* * *

The Tale of Soulmates' Spirits.

Pantera trailed after Ichigo and Nel, earning quite a bit of attention from the townsfolk as he did. Since he was usually capable of taking care of himself, it was no surprise that the two of them paid him little attention. Given they were both caught up in conversation with each other, it ultimately yielded his separation from them.

His blue eyes noticed every figure in their path, and he soon unwillingly found himself to be the center of attention. When he saw men in uniform round a corner, he realized he was about to either get sedated or be killed. Even though he wasn't doing any harm, people were still distrustful of him and he had no idea why.

Ichigo and Nel weren't afraid of him.

Grimmjow had never once shown fear for him.

Even the citizens of Las Noches didn't show that they feared him.

What was wrong with _this_ town? Were they not exposed to creatures besides other humans on a regular basis?

Thinking quickly, he turned and started running in the opposite direction.

The people all nearly fell out of his way as he ran through town, screaming and trembling at the sight of him. Of course, he meant them no harm. All he wanted was to return to his flock, wherever they had gone.

It was when he saw some men running parallel to him along rooftops, who were not in uniforms, aiming some kind of weapon at him that he realized this city was too dangerous to stay in.

"Shoot and fucking kill it!" one of the men shouted. "The pelt will be worth everything we have stocked up and then some!"

Pantera growled as he sped up, finally coming to the city limits. As the weapons fired and he dodged the lethal bullets, he managed to escape the city and came to a thicket. He could tell this was to the west of the entrance they had all used to enter the city…

Though, something was odd. The men who were chasing him all stopped as he entered the forest. It was strange considering how much they wanted his pelt.

As he noticed a wound on his leg, which dispelled the idea that he'd dodged all the bullets being shot at him, he was now fully aware of the fact that in this world, there were humans who were capable of great good as well as great evil.

His bright blue eyes widened when he felt something hot and wet hit him from behind, and what he didn't understand was why he suddenly had no energy to fight it off. Quickly realizing that he'd been paralyzed, he fell to the ground and growled—all he could do to try intimidating his captor.

What had caught him approached from the wilderness, and he saw that it was not human.

With its fangs it grabbed the web it no doubt spat and crawled off, dragging its prey along with it, completely unaware of the small glowing fire trailing after it.

* * *

The tale of Ichigo Kurosaki.

Nel picked a fancy hotel to stay the night in. It was so extravagant that Ichigo questioned her about how she managed to pay for it. Her simple reply was she was a gypsy and had her ways of coming into rather fortunate sums of money.

Instead of questioning her about her methods, Ichigo just went with the flow and thanked her for buying him a private room and bath. Her room was right beside his, as was her bath. If he were a pervert, it would've been the perfect opportunity to spy on her. However, that wasn't in his plans for the night… or any night like this one.

He wanted something to eat, but he wanted a bath even more. After dropping all his things off in the inviting bedroom, he stripped out of his clothes and headed to the bath.

As he passed a mirror, he stopped and stared at himself. He had a well-built figure… what was so enticing about a woman compared to him that Grimmjow would…

"No, I shouldn't try to figure out why Grimmjow does what he does…" he said as his eyes trailed to his crotch and lingered.

He was good enough for someone. And if it wasn't Grimmjow, he would find that right person someday. After feeling the urge to and then gently rubbing his stomach, he continued on his way to the bath.

When he pulled the door open, he quickly covered himself when he saw a teenager sitting in the pool-like tub.

"Who are you!?" he shouted, face reddening from embarrassment and the sudden heat.

The teen jumped and quickly tried to crawl out of the water. As he did, Ichigo noticed a wheelchair sitting in the corner.

"Sorry!" the guy said, "I didn't know anyone was renting this room tonight!"

"Who are you?"

"I'm Samir… I'm the attendant of these rooms." He responded, then stopped trying to escape the water. Samir was a relatively handsome fellow, dark, curly hair falling to his shoulders, a scar running across his chest, dark tan skin... he was surely a catch.

"Is that yours?" Ichigo asked, referring to the wheelchair carefully left in the corner.

"It is…" Samir replied, looking defeated.

Ichigo uncovered himself and entered the bath, slipping into the pool and allowing himself to submerge completely beneath the water for a few seconds. When he came up, he wiped the steaming water from his eyes and leaned against the rock wall of the tub.

"I won't make any complaints about you or anything. You don't have to run away." He said. Something about this person said he wasn't trouble, after all.

"I was about to clean this tub out, but I slipped out of my chair while leaning to grab something floating in the water and thought I might as well enjoy this. Sorry…"

"It's fine. I'm Ichigo. Nice to meet you."

Samir blushed as he recalled Ichigo's previous uninhibited actions. "You're… _comfortable_ around men?" he asked.

"I am." Was the orange-head's simple reply. It was no big deal, anyway.

"I see. Me too." Samir admitted bashfully, as if he weren't the most comfortable with his comfortableness.

"Relax, I'm not trying to seduce you or anything. You don't even look of age." Ichigo teased.

"I'm seventeen! That's legal in this town!"

"It's legal where I'm from. But…" Ichigo sighed and sunk into the water so his mouth was submerged, then started blowing bubbles.

"Ichigo, I know this is a little forward, but do you have a boyfriend?"

Said man blew more bubbles, but came up and replied. "Yes."

"But you're here alone?"

"Yes. It's complicated." No, Grimmjow was definitely not his boyfriend. But it was just safest to say he was in this situation to avoid the unexplainable and sometimes irritating complexities of their relationship.

"Do you love him?"

"Of course… he's just… I don't know why I bother sometimes."

"I want to ask your advice."

An eyebrow rose. "Really?"

"I like a guy… he's a friend and… I don't know how to make him want me." Samir seemed just as downcast as Ichigo was.

"…Have you told him how you feel?"

"A long time ago. But he's… he's too afraid of me… what I want with him… And ever since the accident, I haven't seen him much."

"Accident?" Ichigo echoed.

"Yeah. I used to work in the mines. But a year ago, my legs got caught under a landslide in the mines and… well, now here I am, working in this hotel."

Ichigo looked over to the wheelchair and then back at Samir. He knew this was an unfortunate event, and he wished there was some way he could help him… A single idea occurred to him, one not dissimilar from one he had a long time ago in the desert oasis.

However, this time, he did not voice it.

"I can't tell you what to do, Samir. You need to approach him in the way you feel comfortable, but keep his comfort in mind. Tell him how you feel and give him time to consider his feelings."

"Well, the thing is, we've been… _together_ … before. We were both drunk. And he told me he was sorry he couldn't save me that day I got caught in the landslide. But he avoids talking about that night whenever I bring it up. You think he regrets it?"

"From the sound of it, he harbors responsibility for you. Maybe he won't be able to talk to you about some kind of future together until he can stop feeling responsible."

"…" Samir grabbed a rail and pulled himself out of the water so he could sit on the side. "I guess you're right. Maybe someday I'll be able to convince him that I'm okay, and what happened to me isn't his fault."

"Good luck with him." Ichigo offered.

"Thanks. And what about you? Are you happy with your boyfriend?"

"I…" Ichigo leaned back and let his hair sprawl in all directions under the water. "I think I am. He makes me mad a lot, and he's selfish and spoiled, but he has shown he cares about me. I think he just might not realize it…"

"He's your boyfriend and he doesn't know he cares about you?" The look on Samir's face said the two ideas were clearly contradicting each other.

"Like I said, it's a complicated relationship we have. All I know is that I love him."

"Does he love you?"

"I don't know. I don't think he does…" It was the honest answer.

After running his hand through his hair, Samir stared at Ichigo's floating form. "He'd be stupid not to."

"Thanks." A genuine smile found its way to Ichigo's face.

"Good luck to you as well, Ichigo."

"Yeah... I appreciate that."

"…Well, I've got to get back home… I wasn't supposed to be here this long." Ichigo, now floating, looked down and made eye contact with Samir. "Thanks for chatting with me. I'm glad to have met you, Ichigo."

"Same to you."

"I'm sure I'll see you around." And with that said, Samir reached out and pulled himself into his wheelchair, which had a towel draped over it.

When he was gone, Ichigo closed his eyes and sighed, staring at the open night sky above.

Grimmjow…

What more was to come for their relationship than what they currently had? Was a life together even possible?

And more importantly, knowing full well what kind of person Grimmjow was, was a life together something he even wanted anymore…?

His brown eyes shot open as he recalled something. _"Wait, did Grimmjow call me his_ mate _?"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Had to do some... research for this chapter... (^_^;)
> 
> Very different tales unfolding, it seems. And of course I had to include more personal character developments for Grimmjow. This was a good chapter for all, but especially him. Hope you all enjoyed imagining him running naked with a huge cloak around his neck across rooftops through the night.
> 
> Or Ichigo floating naked in a hot bath...
> 
> Anyway, this sub-arc has some major developments coming!
> 
> Any questions or comments, you know what to do!


	65. to the victor go the spoils

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Happy holidays everyone!
> 
> Considering the timing, I'd just like to point out that this story has been running for two years, and I'm still loving every chapter. There's much to come in 2016, of course!
> 
> Hope you all enjoy the chapter!

As the sun began its faithful rise on the horizon, its radiant rays peaked through the large wooden blinds of Ichigo's hotel room. Ichigo had slept comfortably on his stomach, as he usually did. But as the golden sun rays lit his room and eventually found their way to his bed, he pulled the sheets over his head and grumbled at the sudden brightness attacking his face.

He'd fallen in and out of sleep at least twice in the past twenty minutes, but accepted that he was awake now. After wiping the drool from the corner of his mouth, he sat up on his elbows and looked around his impeccably clean room. Apparently, Grimmjow had not come in last night. If he had, he'd likely be lying beside him right now.

Maybe his woman was so pleasurable that he spent the night with her…

Ichigo rubbed his eyes clean of any gunk and then fell forward onto his fluffy pillow.

Today wasn't the day to let his feelings get the better of him like they always did.

After getting out of bed, he pulled his toothbrush and toothpaste from his booksack and headed into the bathroom. He didn't spend more time than necessary brushing, and was back in his room lying flat on his bed when he was finished. It was so comfortable that he couldn't resist taking a few more minutes to rest on it.

"Ichigooo~!"

Brown eyes opened at the sound of Nel's voice singing his name from the hallway.

He sat up and stared at the door for a second. Even though Grimmjow hadn't come to find him last night, it was good to know that there was someone who sought his company; eagerly at that.

Nel gave a welcoming smile when Ichigo's door opened. "Morning, sleepyhead." She said as he let her inside. She noticed he was only wearing a t-shirt and a pair of noticeably short boxer shorts. "Grimmjow's not here?" Like Ichigo, she expected the prince to have found his way to this room last night.

"No, I don't know where he is." Ichigo said while closing the door and headed over to his bag.

The gypsy walked over to the bed and took a seat on it, crossing her legs. "That's disappointing."

"For _you_?" One of Ichigo's orange eyebrows rose as he picked some clothes out from his bag.

"I had… ehm… _plans_ for him." Nel shrugged indifferently, then fell back, stretched her legs out, and closed her eyes. The morning was so gentle with Ichigo around. The atmosphere in this place was welcoming and calming at the same time. Grimmjow clearly didn't appreciate what the universe had kindly granted him.

"I'm about to get ready. Wanna grab breakfast before we go to the temple?"

After raising her thumb high in the air, Nel replied. "Yeah, sure. That sounds good."

Ichigo entered the bathroom and closed the door behind himself. "How's Kon doing?" he asked as he stepped out of his underwear and pulled his shirt off.

"He's fine. I locked him in my room because I don't really wanna deal with him right now…"

"You're finally starting to see what a perverted lecherous creature he is, huh?" the orange-head chuckled.

"I guess you could say that." She took to twirling a finger in her soft, long hair that fell in loose curls. "I hope you have something nice to wear because I have plans for us tonight."

"Oh really?" It certainly was unusual for Ichigo to be involved in _plans_ these days. He'd pretty much forgotten what it was like to go out; not having done so since before he left Seireitei on Unohana's request. Perhaps that night with the gypsies counted, although that was more of a happening than anything else.

"Yeah, we're gonna make some money."

* * *

Having decided to eat in the outside part of the hotel café to enjoy the surprisingly calm and pleasant weather, Ichigo came over from the bar and sat down in front of Nel. "You have a plan for us to get money?" he asked her before taking a drink from his steaming coffee.

Nel swallowed the food she'd been eating and grabbed up a napkin to wipe her mouth. "Yes, I was actually expecting Grimmjow to be with you this morning. He was going to be a key player in this plan."

"Are you gonna tell me what it is?"

"We're gonna go gambling." She said with a wily grin.

Orange eyebrows rose. "Gambling…?"

"That's right. Up 'til now, we've gotten by on what pocket change I've been able to muster up… no thanks to you, and especially no thanks to your beloved prince… So this plan will help us be able to travel easier."

Ichigo put his coffee down and started stirring some sweeteners into it. "Well, it may be as good a time as any to tell you this. I planned for us to split up after we collect this crystal."

That proposition took Nel by surprise. She looked down to her food for a second before replying. "I guess if that's what you think is best… we can split up…"

"It won't be for long. My intent is that we each go after a remaining crystal and meet up near the Capital. From what I gather, attaining the crystals symbolizes a person's good deeds—the kindness and selflessness that they've shown this world. I was under the impression that I needed to get them myself, with just the help of you guys. But now I realize that we're all going to the Capital, not just me. So splitting up and getting them shouldn't prove much different than what we've been doing."

"I guess that's right. So, I'll be getting one, you will, and Grimmjow will?"

"Yep. The remaining crystals we need are the ones of Light, Wind Valley and Ice Cavern. I'll be sending Chile with you when he gets back, so I'll go on my own."

"You shouldn't have to be alone, Ichigo."

"I'll be fine. I've been able to handle everything that's come my way so far." Ichigo assured her.

" _Almost_ everything."

"…" the orange-head's demeanor took a notable change.

"Changing the subject… Since we're here in a nice place like this, and won't be together for a while after we leave, I want you to tell me about your life. I don't know much about you, even though we're friends. I'm also really curious about things that happened with Grimmjow."

Ichigo sat completely still as he felt himself growing warm all over. "Why do you wanna know about what happened with him…?"

"It seems like an interesting tale. Maybe one you can tell your kids someday? I didn't really think about it, but the first time I saw the two of you together, you were arguing so bitterly about a beggar child. Next thing I knew, I'd tracked you to the palace and you were marked with his Reiatsu." Nel drew her legs up against her chest in her chair, wrapped her arms around them, and rested her cheek on her arms. "Quite a noticeable change, I'd say."

Brown eyes gazed out at the ginger-red shingled roofs against the bright blue skyline before beginning. "I had a normal childhood. My parents took care of me and I was very happy. My mom wasn't in my life very long, though… She was killed when I was nine, and my dad had to take care of me and my sisters by himself. I started training to become a Court Guard when I was in high school thanks to my friends' support, my dad's support, and Urahara-san. I wound up becoming a Substitute because I have responsibilities to my family clinic, so it's more part-time than anything."

"Oh, wait… So is it okay for you to be away from home like this?"

"Yeah, my dad and sisters can manage without me. I'm off duty as a Court Guard right now, kinda like a vacation. I was supposed to be recovering from everything that happened in Las Noches, but _then_ I found out about Grimmjow's execution… and then he and I inevitably left Seireitei."

"Couldn't bear to watch him die?"

"…No, I couldn't. And it was my fault he was caught in the first place."

"Alright, so tell me about Las Noches." Nel was near smiling now. Even though she wasn't happy with the former Sexta Espada, she knew that Ichigo held tremendous affection for him. It'd be nice to hear how he described his first moments with him.

"Well… I always trained as a medic and a Court Guard. It was pretty hard work, but I did it because that's what I wanted to do. So," Ichigo sighed with a grin. "I got a request from Unohana-san, a captain in Seireitei, to come to Las Noches and help handle the people who were wounded from the desert spiders' attack. I came with my two friends—the ones you brought to Seireitei. That's when I met Grimmjow. You saw us the first time we ever exchanged words, remember?"

"How could I ever forget?"

"I thought it was over and done when that pale guy with green eyes showed up and gave that kid money, but Grimmjow came to me the next day and challenged me to a duel. I wasn't going to fight him at first, but he attacked Rukia and Renji, so I had no choice but to accept. I lost though, because he sent a Cero at them when they couldn't defend themselves. He knocked me out and took me to his room in the palace and… he uh… let's just say the first few nights with him were traumatic."

"He raped you." Nel said out loud, quite bluntly at that, since he was skirting around saying it. Of course, this wasn't what she wanted to hear, but it wasn't surprising. Grimmjow was Grimmjow, after all.

"He did. It was the hardest thing I ever had to experience, and I truly hated him for it… But eventually, I came to understand that he was just lonely and wanted someone to acknowledge him. He saw me as someone on par with him, and I was worth trying to get close to. If it wasn't for all the terrible things he did, I never would've come to care about him. From the first moment I met him to where we are now, I went from loathing him to sympathizing with him to wanting to protect him to loving him. I think all the times I saw him in pain only encouraged me towards him."

"Sounds like Stockholm at its finest."

"Don't even... You can't imagine what it was like to see him falling into his room, his arm missing and blood falling everywhere… or seeing him beaten and tossed around by a giant monster like a rag doll…"

"No, I can't. I only saw the aftermath of all of that, really."

"I know from the outside looking in it seems… weird… but deep down… Grimmjow has always sought acknowledgement. It's like he has this idea in his mind that he was always meant to be on top, and he needs to prove that to everyone. Even from the first time we fought, I feel like that's all he wanted—my acknowledgement. The fact that he's gone so far for it is… well, it's something important."

"That's a way to look at it. You of all people would know him best… I heard his men died in Seireitei, which means you are the only other human being that he has an actual bond with. That's pretty important, too."

Ichigo sighed and leaned forward on the table, resting his cheek in the palm of his hand. "I wasn't really in the mood to talk about Grimm… considering what he did yesterday…"

Nel sighed. "I just hope he doesn't tell anyone who he is."

"Why's that?"

"Wh—it should be obvious! A lady of the night finding out she's got a prince in her bed for the night?" Ichigo still looked confused, so she expanded on her point. "She'd purposely try to get herself pregnant from his royal brew so he would take care of her. A baby is the surest way to enter into the royal life, even if it is... illegitimate…?" she said, wondering if that was the right word to use. "Well, then again, I have heard that some royals kill the mothers and their babes as an alternative…"

"I see. When you put it that way…" The thought of Grimmjow having a child with a prostitute, or anyone really… Ichigo ran a hand through his spiky hair and sighed, yet again.

"And you _know_ Grimmjow isn't the sharpest knife in Aizen's kitchen drawer. He'd probably go all night with a woman if she threw a few compliments his way, increasing the chances of a pregnancy. Gosh, he's _so_ stupid…"

"Do you think he would take care of his unexpected family?"

"…" Nel quickly realized that question was coming from him undoubtedly being upset about the thought of Grimmjow impregnating a whore. "I honestly don't know… Let's just hope he has the common sense to pull out _before_ he's done."

"Yeah…"

"I really _hate_ that he makes you this way. You deserve someone who makes you smile, not feel like you're worthless."

"Love doesn't come easy, Nel. When she was alive, my mom told me that sometimes we have to struggle before we can be happy. I know this is my struggle. What's waiting for me when I've weathered this storm… well… it could be something better than I ever hoped for."

"Some might say you're awfully insightful and optimistic for your situation." Nel teased. It was good that he still seemed hopeful. In her heart, she knew if she had a challenge this difficult, she'd have moved on ages ago. But everyone is different. Everyone has so much they can take before breaking. Ichigo was just someone who was admirably and unyieldingly patient. "Well, let's dig a little deeper." She said.

"Hmm?"

"Tell me, have you tried seducing him?"

Ichigo avoided eye contact, growing noticeably uncomfortable. "I… Of course I have."

"I mean _really_ seducing him."

"I've tried… I don't know what else you could mean."

"Like…" Nel looked up to the beautifully blooming clouds above for inspiration, "Have you held him close to you when you're done? Made him think there's _nothing_ in the world you wouldn't do for him? Let him know that of anyone you've ever known, he's the most important person you know and no one has ever or _will_ ever compare to him? Men are surprisingly easy to manipulate in this way. Just a compliment here, make him think you need him there… Though, I wouldn't suggest the latter with _Grimmjow_." Her attention had come back to Ichigo from the sky partway through her questioning.

"More or less…" Ichigo said truthfully. He was no seduction wizard, he just did what came naturally to him when he was alone with Grimmjow. Sure, he'd manipulated him once or twice, but he truly wanted a return for the feelings he had for the man.

"What does he do when you tell him you love him?"

"As of late, he says 'I know', and leaves it at that."

"Hmmm…"

"When I first told him, he laughed in my face and called me insane. So I'd say we've come a long way."

"Anything else…?"

Ichigo paused and seriously considered that, thinking back to all the times he'd experienced any sort of affable behavior from Grimmjow. "Well, there's more you should know so that you don't think he hates me or anything... or that I'm grasping at straws in pursuit of him. I know he trusts me. I've been with him twice when he'd entered his Resurrección form, and both times, he wrapped his tail around my waist while he slept. I know he wouldn't be so far from Las Noches with me if he didn't think I was truly able to get his arm healed. He's called me pretty more than once… I suspect he took care of me when I was sick and unconscious right before we got to Himura… He shielded me from being shot by a swarm of bees' stingers as well as a bolt of lightning—both of which probably would've done me in." He smiled as he listed all the little things out. Grimmjow was capable of care, even if it was a tsundere-ish and unconventional manner in which he showed it. When he looked at Nel, he was surprised to see a beaming smile on her face. "And well… there is something else…"

"Oh? And what's that?"

"More than once, he's told me… while we were… ah… _you know_ …" Ichigo blushed when Nel gave him a suggestive look, "He wanted me to tell him… something..."

"That's vague…? Tell him what?"

"I don't know."

Nel leaned in and crossed her arms on the table. "Just ask him. It never hurts to ask."

"Yeah, I-"

"Hey, Ichigo!"

At the sound of his name, Ichigo turned and saw Samir rolling his way with a smile on his face and someone walking close behind. The other man was a tall, muscular fellow with dark brown hair that was cut along the sides and tied up top in a short, curly ponytail. His skin was very close to Samir's in that it was very sun-kissed, despite their occupations keeping the both of them hidden away from the sun most of the day through; former occupation in Samir's case. "Good morning." He greeted.

With a clear view of the man accompanying Samir, he noticed a prominent scar running down the side of his left cheek. It made him wonder what went on in the mines, seeing how the only two he'd known to worked there had scars…

"Ahem…" Nel cleared her throat as the two reached their table, clearly having decided to dine with them.

"Oh, um this is my friend Nelliel. She doesn't bite." He introduced the girl with a smile.

"I'm Samir. And this is Axeley. Very nice to meet you."

Axeley gave a gentle smile. "A foreign beauty." He commented.

Nel's pale-brown eyes widened and the brief red tint of her cheeks rivaled the mark running across her nose. "W—well! It's nice to be appreciated!"

After moving his tray of food from his lap to the table, Samir looked to Ichigo. "How's your stay so far?" he asked him.

"I'm enjoying it very much. Thanks for asking." he replied, then watched as Axeley sat down beside Samir. At least _they_ were spending time together…

When Samir's brown eyes turned to Nel, who was drinking orange juice from her cup, she quickly put it down. "My stay has been a welcome change to what I've become used to, traveling with this guy."

It encouraged a laugh from everyone at the table, including Ichigo.

"Did you guys hear about the attack last night?" Axeley asked as he seemingly inhaled his croissant.

"Attack?" Ichigo didn't realize anything like that was happening in this town.

"Yea, apparently one of the creatures of the earth showed up in town. I heard it didn't hurt anyone. Must've been moving through town to get to their nest…"

Nel gently placed the scone she was about to eat down onto her plate and wiped her mouth with a napkin. "There goes my appetite."

"Sorry," the large man apologized sincerely.

"It's fine."

Ichigo was still curious on the matter. "Where's the nest?"

"Not far from the mines." Samir answered. "I heard the creatures burrowed into the ground and it runs parallel to the underground section of the mines… although they burrow much deeper into the earth than humans."

"Some of the other miners say they feel the vibrations from the mining, and that irritates them." Axeley added.

"Why continue to mine if that's the case?" Nel asked.

"Well, some of the mining is done for the family that owns the company that sells the precious stones we find. There's also mining for raw minerals, which, after refinement, have important uses in everyday life for building, energy, and so on. Our town, and many other towns and cities on this continent, depend on our mining for basic living needs." Axeley said, avoiding going into minute details. Most people just needed the big picture, anyway.

"Why hasn't someone done anything about the creatures if they're a threat to the public?" Ichigo asked.

"There is a guardian who watched over the temple that's near the entrance mountain region, but after hearing about the initial attacks, he went to find the nest and we haven't heard from him since."

"How long ago was that?"

"A few weeks. We were actually supposed to receive some soldiers from Seireitei to investigate-"

"What?! When?!" That tidbit caught Ichigo by surprise. This was not good at all. Sure, Nemu was willing to look the other way about him traveling a condemned man who had escaped execution, but not everyone in Seireitei was as nonchalant about it.

"I heard it was supposed to be sometime in the next two days. They were expected to arrive this week at the latest." Samir answered, smiling at Axeley, who was shocked that he knew that. He didn't work in the mines anymore, after all.

"How'd you-"

"I have to keep up with what's happening in the mines. Many of the workers are still important to me, including you."

"Aaaaaw, you two just get a room!" Nel teased.

Axeley turned away, embarrassed. Samir blushed and stared down at his food.

"Nel," Ichigo called quietly as Samir and Axeley started a lover's spat about something or other. "We can't collect the crystal if anyone else solves this problem first."

"Hmm, I don't know. Maybe we could just trick the guardian and say we did." the girl offered half-seriously.

"That's not how it works. And also, I can't let anyone from Seireitei find Grimmjow just yet. There're too many risks with this place right now. We should-"

"Should what? You already said we were splitting up after getting this crystal. Might as well stick to it now… Besides, your man is somewhere in this town so you have to find him before someone who'd rather see his head on a spike does. We cannot leave."

"I wasn't about to suggest we leave. I was going to say we shouldn't waste any time and solve this problem today."

"Oh. Well, then let's! Looks like you'll be saving Grimmjow's ass again."

"Wait, how do you know he needs saving?"

"It's just a hunch. He's an idiot, after all." The girl said quite matter-of-factly.

Ichigo planted his face in his hand and sighed. Failure here was not an option.

The situation had become about much more than simply earning a crystal. Ichigo and Nel were now two of several unknown players in this game, and the prize trophy at the end of it was Grimmjow Jaegerjaques to do with what the victor will.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: It can't hurt to reveal that with this sub-arc, I wanted Ichigo and Grimmjow to be apart. They've been together for so many chapters, and I know Ichigo has kind of taken a back seat in the heroic score...
> 
> I hope you're all excited for the next chapter(s)!


	66. a grim reminder

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First chapter of 2016, woo!

Nel couldn't help but notice that she was falling behind as she and Ichigo made their way through town. Every so often, she'd have to increase her pace to catch up with him, which is how she knew she was falling behind. Perhaps it was due to her wandering eyes. They were currently in the heart of the shopping center, so there was much window shopping to be done.

Ichigo was weaving through the groups of people quite skillfully; he had the perfect motivation, so this feat wasn't surprising.

"Excuse me…" she said, cutting through a group of middle-aged women who were coming her way. Ichigo had made it through them before they came together, but Nel was not so lucky. "Ichigo, wait for me." She called when she finally had a clear view of the back of his head.

Ichigo looked over his shoulder and slowed down. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"You're _leaving_ me behind!" a somewhat snappy reply.

"Oh… I'm sorry. I was in such a hurry that I forgot I had you with me…"

"I know you did! Look, the guys told us your buddies from Seireitei won't be here for two days at least. We'll find Grimmjow before then." Nel offered, trying to console the fretting carrot top.

"I hope so. If they catch him again…" Ichigo trailed off as he recalled the unforgettable sight of Grimmjow kneeling before the disgruntled crowd in Seireitei. It didn't matter how upset he was with him presently, he would never allow Grimmjow to experience that again. "We barely got away by the skin of our teeth last time…"

"Oh, I remember that." The girl said. "Good thing I was there to help!"

"Yeah… Thanks again for that."

"Anything for a friend." She acted as if it was no big deal, but the things she did for them truly proved that there were people in the world who stuck their necks out for others with no ulterior motive. When all of Ichigo's friends were confused and even questioned his motives, Nel quickly came to his aid.

"Hey, Nel…"

"Yeah?"

"What is a mate in regards to an Arrancar?" Ichigo asked, nervous of the answer he would get.

That was a seemingly random question.

"A mate? Why do you…" Nel was able to quickly put two and two together. "Did _Grimmjow_ call you his mate?"

"He did. When I asked what I was to him, that's the answer he gave me."

"Very interesting… But… I'm afraid I can't tell you what it means."

"Why not?"

"Because it varies from Arrancar to Arrancar. In the traditional sense of the word, if you were his mate, you would be the person he would spend his time with and he'd have you give him an heir or two or three—being a prince and all, he would need one… From my perspective, it seems like he called you that because, despite not bearing his child, you are his lover, and he is yours. You two are bound together by fate, it seems. But even so…" Nel put a firm hand on Ichigo's shoulder to look him directly in his strong but innocent eyes, "Ever since I read your palm, I've had a bad feeling about that fate. Be wary of him… and everyone else..." She advised, her grim words seeming to offer no room for optimism.

Having run Nel's advice over in his mind, Ichigo kept his cool. "No need to be so gloom and doom. I'll be fine." He promised her, aiming a handsome smile her way.

Nel gave a defeated sigh. "Knowing you, maybe you will… If not, I'll weep for you." she finished, turning her attention back to the task at hand: finding out which of these brothels Grimmjow had wandered into last night like a little lost puppy. They continued on with their search in silence for a little while, carefully passing the many men who were stalking the streets, until Nel recalled the proposition Ichigo had voiced a while ago. "Are you going to tell me the idea you had for living with him once this is all over? I mean, if you're smuggling him while walking on eggshells _now_ … I can't imagine it'll get any easier after we're done."

"Oh, that. I planned to… Well, I don't even know if it'll work, but I'm going to ask the King to pardon Grimmjow."

As soon as those words reached her ears, Nel considered them for a moment. She considered it so much that she occasionally had to catch up with the orange-head. "Hmmm, on what grounds would your king pardon him?"

"I'm going to tell him that I couldn't have gotten the crystals without his help. If they can get me _in_ to the Capital, I'm sure they can be used for that cause as well. And if that doesn't work, I'll come clean about the whole situation—why Grimmjow did the things he did in the first place. It was all about me, and since I harbor no ill will towards him for it, I can only hope that will be enough to sway the King."

He was forgetting that Grimmjow caused some significant damage to the part of Seireitei he visited his wrath upon while they fought each other.

"Go for broke, huh? Well, it's worth a shot… But marching Grimmjow into the Capital will also be a risky move. He is dead set on become King of Las Noches, and he's also serving the current King of that place. As I recall, Las Noches was never sanctioned by Seireitei, so it is basically an act of rebellion against the High Crown."

"I know. But none of that is important now because Grimmjow isn't an Espada anymore. Besides, we still cooperate with the kingdom because of its citizens—who need our help. We're not the kind to abandon people just because they were born in a less fortunate part of the world. We even have a peace treaty with them."

A treaty that Grimmjow flagrantly violated _twice_ …

Nel shrugged. "That's true. Either way, I don't really care about what happens to him…" she paused when she noticed the incredibly disappointed look she was given. "But… since _you_ do, I'll help you in this endeavor."

Ichigo gave his sincerest thanks as they finally arrived at the entrance to the red-light district. They'd chatted their way through town and were now face-to-face with the restricted area. It looked like a regular part of town now that it was viewed in the light of day.

As they approached the towering wooden-gated entrance, the guards promptly stopped them.

"Hold it! How old is this girl?" the taller of the two guards asked.

"I'm old enough! Stand aside, sirs!" Nel ordered. When it was clear they were staying their positions, she flipped her hair back, revealing her overgrown bosom that had been hiding beneath it. "I'm a woman, not a girl! Now please be gentlemen and step aside! We're searching for our comrade who came in here last night!"

Watching speechlessly as the guards permitted Nel entrance into the district, Ichigo followed after here in pure awe.

"Ichigo, do you know Grimmjow's tastes in women?" she asked as they carried on.

"Not really…" said man replied. There _was_ that one night in Las Noches when Grimmjow summoned that concubine to his quarters, and also that time in the Phantom Forest with the sprites, but Ichigo could not recall the faces of those women now that he needed to. It's not like he paid too much attention to them when he first saw them, anyway…

That wasn't really the answer Nel had hoped for. "Guess we check all of these places one by one, then." She mumbled.

Ichigo took one more glance around the area before he spoke again. "We should split up to cover more ground."

"M'kay. I think it'd be best if we don't venture more than a building or two away from each other." Nel added, and then held out her hand. When she saw that Ichigo was confused by the gesture, she sighed. "Slap my hand. It's a morale thing!"

After grinning at the childish nature of the gesture, Ichigo slapped her hand. "See you in a bit."

"Yeah, and don't get picked up by these ladies. They're probably still be working even though it's morning. Considering there are men walking around, I guess that's true…"

* * *

To say that the Court Guards of Seireitei were making a scene as they entered Crestown city limits would be putting things a bit mildly. Of the gang, Ikkaku and Rangiku were making the most noise. They were arguing about something trivial; their usual shtick. Yumichika also drew attention to them when he sighed rather loudly and made a ceremonious exclamation about how he was glad to be within city limits again after all the traveling they'd been doing.

Sitting far off to the west near the coastline, the city of Crestown was actually much further away from Seireitei than the desert kingdom of Las Noches—a two day journey going one way—was. The trip to Crestown, going on a straight course(unlike Ichigo's group who had made several other stops), was double that time.

Hinamori, Kira, and Shuhei followed them much more quietly.

"Why are you even still here? Aren't you off on a personal _shopping_ mission?" Ikkaku asked in frustration after Rangiku purposely flipped her luxurious hair into his face.

"Don't you worry about why I'm here! You just focus on the task _you_ were given!" the woman retorted.

In truth, she and Hinamori weren't in Crestown for the request to investigate and stop the string of attacks on the town. Amidst the growing tensions between Seireitei and Las Noches that very well spelled war, they were here to shop. Some of this shopping was requested by Captain Unohana, who had sent for some medical supplies that could only be found out west, Captain Soi-Fon, who needed some deliveries brought to her after claiming she was too busy to collect them herself, and Captain Kyōraku, who heard there were some amazing kimonos in Crestown that he just had to have!

The boys were here to handle the grotesque, unwanted insects, of course.

A side mission that they'd received from Captain Kuchiki was to try and locate Renji's advanced squad that had been charged with tracking down Substitute Court Guard Ichigo Kurosaki and/or the escaped prisoner Grimmjow Jaegerjaques.

All in all, they had quite the workload ahead of them. Even though this was a matter concerning the crystals of the realm, which was information that was only disclosed to captains and their lieutenants, sending too many lieutenants away from the kingdom was not something Yamamoto wanted to do. This is why Madarame and Ayasegawa were accompanying them.

Notably, Renji had not reported in with progress on his mission for quite an alarming number of days. Momo and Rangiku were basically being sent on a vacation with the boys as their escort—might as well call it what it was.

This left Sasakibe, Omaeda, Isane, Tetsuzaemon, Nanao, Yachiru, and Nemu—who had only just recently returned to Seireitei from her mission in Pagunia. It wasn't the most promising lineup if the kingdom should have to go to war, but Seireitei Court Guards always played their parts eloquently when the time for battle arose. Plus, all of the captains were still in the kingdom, which was more than enough to defend it should the need arise.

As it pertained to the "tense" situation between the kingdoms, this was all due to Grimmjow. He'd become quite popular after his great escape from Seireitei just before his execution was carried out. His brazen attack on the kingdom, which left it scarred, to kidnap Ichigo was also still the talk of the town weeks later. Some assumed he was planning to kill Ichigo for a dark desert blood ritual, while others began suspecting it was due to a forbidden love that existed between them. Forbidden by whatever means they could imagine, of course. Others in the kingdom praised Grimmjow for nothing more than his dashing and exotic appearance, yearning to see the foreign Prince in the kingdom again.

Despite his abnormalities, Grimmjow truly was an eye-catching man. It should come as no surprise that he could draw the arousal of the some of the citizens.

Grimmjow's demotion from Espada and subsequent capture in Seireitei, thanks to the person he'd kidnapped, landed him on the road to execution. Thanks to his escape, he was considered a wanted criminal to be returned to Seireitei as soon as possible, DOA.

Since the King of Las Noches was unreachable due to his being away from the kingdom, the worst was starting to be suspected and Seireitei was preparing itself for war. You have to admit that one of their Princes being rescued before his execution and the King being away in the desert where an ancient weapon lay dormant was not the most promising of aspects (though few knew about the weapon slumbering in the desert). This was the most inopportune of moments for soldiers and civilians to go missing—referring specifically to Renji, Rukia, Senna, Sado, and Ishida.

Of course, this did not mean they would ignore requests for help from cities that were loyal to the crown.

Tasked as the leader, Shuhei accepted the main mission to remove the insect threat from Crestown along with the side mission to discover and retrieve Abarai's squad.

And so, here we are…

Shuhei calmly walked between Momo and Kira, the quieter two of his squad, with his hands in his pockets. The situation could've been worse. The town could've been destroyed and overrun with these supposed insects. They also could've come across Abarai's squad to find them dismembered and mangled. But neither had been the case.

" _A tracking squad needing to be tracked… Renji, what are you even doing?"_ he thought, shaking his head.

"Hisagi-san," Momo called gently, pulling him from his thoughts.

"Yeah?"

"Rangiku-san and I will probably be going off on our own to fill the shopping request. But we will be on guard to assist you if it comes to that."

"Alright. Can I ask a favor?"

"Sure." The short girl nodded.

"Keep an eye out for Kurosaki. He may have come this far if reports of him passing through Himura and Stormatown* are true."

"Will do! It shouldn't be difficult to find him if he is here. That hair of his could be seen from miles away." She smiled.

* * *

Ichigo felt a shiver run up his spine as he walked up to the front counter of the brothel he'd found his way into. The first thing he noticed was the intricate and meticulous designs that filled the walls. Dragons, flowers, skies… this place had quite a tranquil air about it, considering what it was. He stopped and greeted the man who was standing behind it as he continued to gaze around the lobby.

"Welcome, sir. Are you here seeking the company of one of my girls?" the short and balding man asked. "If you are, I'll have to ask that you give me your sword."

"Oh, I'm not here for that. I'm actually looking for someone. He's tall, has blue hair and eyes, a skeletal jaw on his face… perhaps you've seen him?" Ichigo had quite the way about him. When dealing with a perfect stranger, he truly was a polite and surprisingly inviting individual. Only to people who deserved it, though…

The manager's welcoming demeanor changed right fast. "I'm sorry, but if you're not here for a girl, then I'll need to ask you to-"

"Joe…" a woman's gentle voice called from the second floor. Joe looked up, as did Ichigo.

"Not again! Hana, if you take another man into your room without pay-"

"No, it's not that. I'm curious about this one." Hana stated as she came down the stairs. "You're looking for the Desert Prince?" she asked.

"Y—yes!" Ichigo was relieved that someone knew who Grimmjow was, although he wasn't particularly thrilled that it was a prostitute.

"He was such an exquisite man… Do you know him well?" she asked. When she reached the front desk, she pulled a cup out from what Ichigo assumed to be a fridge beneath the counter and started drinking the beverage in it.

"I guess. Do you know where he is?"

Hana looked Ichigo over calculatingly, and then smiled knowingly. "You're his _lover_. I can tell from that look in your eyes. You're so _desperate_ to find him, worrying over him immensely…" she trailed off, implying his want for Grimmjow was not actually as important as he may have thought it was, "It's actually written all over your face."

Ichigo rolled his eyes, growing increasingly warm. "He could be in trouble. It's really important that I find him."

"Oh, he's in trouble alright…" Hana took a long drink, finishing it off, and put the glass down, her scarlet red lipstick leaving stains on it.

"What?"

"He promised me a night I'd never forget… Sure, _all_ men promise that. They all want to believe they're superior to other men when it comes to fucking. I assume being a man is just an everlasting contest of measuring dicks…" she paused and went into the back room, then came back out with clean and neatly folded clothes in her arms. "These are his. I'm keeping them."

Her having his clothes caused Ichigo to wonder what Grimmjow was wearing if he didn't have what he came to this place in. "Please, I don't have time-"

Hana raised her hand and stopped him mid-statement, "He promised me a night I'd never forget. He really was a fruit to be savored, but… just as I took a bite, he was snatched from my lips."

"…" This lady sure was excessively metaphorical. Ichigo thought against offering any response.

"He headed off after one of those foul insects; towards the mines. If you find him, bring him back to me. If he had to come here for entertainment, I guess you're not doing your job properly."

Ichigo's right eye started twitching and he clenched and unclenched his right hand. He'd never really had the urge to hit a woman before, but this lady was _really_ trying his patience. Quickly, he snatched the clothes from Hana's arms and darted out of the cathouse.

"Nel!" he called as he ran, "I know where Grimmjow is!"

The gypsy came out of the building across the street, and when she saw Ichigo hurrying, she took off after him. "Great! I wasn't having much luck in there! All the girls were jealous of me for some reason!" she said, her ample breasts bouncing as she ran.

~O~

Ichigo and Nel both managed to escape the red-light district without resistance of any kind. Panting a bit, Nel finally took note of the bundle of cloth in Ichigo's arms. "What are you holding?"

"Oh," Ichigo stood up straight and regained his breath as best he could, "These are Grimmjow's clothes from yesterday."

This only served to confuse the girl, "Sooo… if he's not wearing his own clothes…"

"I wouldn't put it past him to be wearing something from the brothel… or naked… I honestly think he's a bit of an exhibitionist." Ichigo blushed a bit, hoping Grimmjow had the decency to not have run around town in his birthday suit.

"Aaanyway, you said you knew where he was?"

"Yeah, he headed off towards the mines after chasing one of the insects that apparently attacked last night."

"Aha!" Nel slammed her fist down into her palm, "I should've known he'd go right into the belly of the beast!"

"Figuratively." Ichigo added as they started their trip to the mines. Thankfully, he'd gotten Samir and Axeley to tell them where they were.

* * *

"So, what do you think of this business with Kurosaki-san?" Momo asked Rangiku as they entered a ritzy boutique, making sure to return the greeting they were offered by the lady behind the counter. The two of them had temporarily separated from the boys, who were in the area getting some lunch before they had to begin the mass extermination.

Rangiku practically floated over to a jewelry stand and picked up a thick and flashy golden bracelet. "How do you mean?"

"Well, what do you think about him being away from the kingdom? And the escaped prisoner being missing as well… You don't think he would be helping him, do you?"

"I can't say for sure. Althoooough…" Rangiku's memory of the night Ichigo had been caught under a spotlight with Prince Jaegerjaques on his back was all too vivid. Ichigo had been so desperate to keep that man out of their hands. She could admit it was for good reason, considering the whispers she heard about what Captain Kurostuchi had done when he did literally get his hands on him… "It's a possibility."

"Oh…" Momo let out a sigh and turned to stare out the large window on the other side of the store. Could there be any truth to the rumors circulating in Seireitei about a forbidden love between Kurosaki and that prisoner?

"Hinamori, how does this look?" Rangiku asked, flashing some luxurious bracelets and a very expensive looking pair of sunglasses. "Good enough to get some attention around the city, I hope."

"I hope you have the money for all of that. This place feels expensive to breathe in…" the girl commented.

"It never hurts to treat yourself every now and again!" Rangiku was determined to spend some cash, justifying it as much as she could. She was clearly not as bothered by what was possibly going on with Kurosaki as Momo was.

Not that Momo had any special interest in Ichigo. She was just worried. He was one of their own. He belonged to Seireitei. And the fact that he was missing from the kingdom after all that happened… It was just a confusing fray of emotions to take in.

Unexpectedly, she caught sight of an orange mess of hair bolting through the crowds outside as she stared out the windows.

She smiled and shook her head.

Rangiku noticed her staring off into the distance as if she were in a trance and touched her shoulder. "Hinamori?"

"No… It couldn't be." Said girl grinned. After a brief moment of silence, she shook her head and turned to Rangiku. "KUROSAKI IS HERE IN CRESTOWN!"

* * *

"Ugh, why didn't we just use the rooftops?!" Nel asked while dodging several startled shoppers as she and Ichigo charged through the district.

"Hmm…" Honestly, Ichigo hadn't thought of that.

Nel came to a dead stop, drawing the eyes of everyone in the crowded area, and then jumped a notable distance into the air. Ichigo sweatdropped as he watched her twirl about in the air and land atop the highest building, bowing after she did. The crowd seemed to enjoy the display, as they near erupted into applause.

When she winked down at him, Ichigo shook his head, but jumped up into the air when he saw her begin running towards the mines again. He landed atop the same building she had, then took off after her.

Nel looked over her shoulder and gave thumbs up to Ichigo. "Much better, right?!" she shouted.

"I wasn't having trouble before!"

"Just admit it…"

As the two of them jumped from rooftop to rooftop, flipping over the occasional high arches and even slipping through some open windows to emerge on the other side of the building, Ichigo felt somewhat at ease. Despite the increasingly desperate situation, this was surprisingly fun. Nel always knew how to have a good time. It was probably because she was so carefree, though.

Still, it was moments like these that he'd always remember about this long journey.

It's not like he'd get away with this back home.

Unlike the journey, however, the trip to the mines wasn't long in the slightest. The two of them quickly found their way through the entertainment district to the rocky hills just outside of town. Of course by now, they were on the ground.

"Nel!" Ichigo called. She was a few paces ahead of him, still.

Nel turned, "Yeah?"

"Do you sense Grimmjow anywhere?"

Nel stopped when she found a large rock to take a quick break on. After taking a second to catch her breath, she climbed up the stacks upon stacks of rocks and looked around. She then returned to the ground and approached the orange-head. "I didn't sense him... I thought maybe I could find him by looking the old fashioned way, but no luck."

Ichigo had used his energy to try looking for the Arrancar a while ago, but to no avail. It was like Grimmjow was no longer in the area at all.

"Ooooh Ichigoooo!"

Said man shivered at the sound of his name being sang in such a way. He turned around and was shocked to see Rangiku, Hinamori, and Yumichika coming his way.

"Who is that woman?" Nel asked. "The way she calls your name is kinda weird."

"Shit! They're from Seireitei! What the hell are they doing here so soon?!" Ichigo was unsure of what to do. If they were here for him, it might mean they knew he had Grimmjow with him. If that was the case, then they'd immediately realize he was responsible for freeing him before his execution was carried out!

"Here to do some extermination?" Yumichika asked when they finally caught up with their long lost comrade.

"Yup! You know me! Can't help but play the hero!" Ichigo replied somewhat nervously. His ears were a bit red and he was laughing. His deceit was so obvious…

"Oh, good!" Rangiku smiled, completely fooled. "Yumichika and the other boys are here to do the same! What are those clothes under your arm for?"

"Just did some shopping. I didn't need a bag." The man fibbed.

Rangiku was convinced. "Oh, going green, huh?"

Although the three of them had taken note of Nel, Hinamori was the one to inquire about her. "Who is this? A friend?"

"Oh, ah, yeah! She's someone I met in Las Noches. She just so happened to be out west and we've been… kickin' it."

"Yeah, we're just kickin' rocks!" Nel quipped, a poke at their current setting. When she saw it earned no entertained reactions, she pulled at the collar of her shirt in an exaggerated manner, "Eeesh, tough crowd tonight."

Yumichika cocked an eyebrow at the pair. "I'm finding this hard to believe… If you're 'kicking it' with her, I guess the rumors about you and Rukia aren't true?"

Ichigo was taken by surprise, "WHAT?!" he yelled, forgetting himself for a moment.

"I guess the ones about you and Inoue aren't, either? Or perhaps, just perhaps, you fell for… that Desert Prince? I forgot his name…" Yumichika continued, disappointed that he had. He was shamelessly prying in Ichigo's personal affairs. Lots of people in Seireitei had grown a bit curious after all that happened.

"None of that is true!" Ichigo was damned near ready to throw a tantrum. When did rumors about Rukia start spreading, anyway? Why was everyone so god damn nosy?!

"A lot of gossip is going around about you… especially after you disappeared."

"What rumors?!" Nel asked.

After staring daggers at her, Ichigo turned back to the trio. "Yeah, what rumors?" he asked, genuinely curious.

"There's one that you were so inspired about the whole situation unfolding between the kingdoms that you left Seireitei on the day of Prince Grimmjow Jaegerjaques' execution in order to go retrieve your princess from the Capital. I think it's said that leaving on the day of the execution was symbolic of your promise to protect her." Hinamori replied.

"And that Rukia was so torn up about you leaving her for Inoue that she locked herself in her room and hasn't been seen for days." Yumichika added. Of course, he knew the true reason Rukia hadn't been seen in a while. Instead of divulging this information, he honestly wanted Ichigo's reaction to hearing the rumor.

"The biggest rumor is that you found out that Grimmjow escaped and you chased after him to profess your love for him! Some people believe you fell in love with him after the _many_ days and _nights_ you two spent together in the palace in Las Noches." Rangiku said excitedly. She might as well have just come out and said 'bow chicka wow wow'…

"Hehe, that last one's not too far off, amirite?" Nel whispered, jabbing the flustered Ichigo in the sides with her elbow.

"Enough!" Ichigo shouted. Too many people were apparently engaged with his personal affairs. "Don't tell me any more."

"Honestly, that's about it." Yumichika said. "What are you doing out here, anyway? This place is a long ways away from home."

"Uuuh… I actually was on my way to visit Inoue." Ichigo admitted.

"Then the rumor about her is true!" Rangiku declared. But after she did, she suddenly grew a bit bummed out. "Well, I guess the forbidden and quite frankly hot rumor about you and the Prince are false…"

Ichigo slammed his forehead against the palm of his hand several times in frustration.

"We're about to clean house here." Nel informed, "So if you'll excuse us…"

"Actually," Yumichika began as he took note of the area, "we came here to do the same."

"Well, not us. We have some things to collect back in town." Hinamori told Ichigo. "We just had to catch you when we saw you running through town."

Nel turned to Ichigo and gave him a look that was basically a silent "I told you so" about running on the rooftops from the beginning.

"There were reports of some of those insects in the forest on the other end of the city, so Shuhei, Kira, and Ikkaku went to handle them. They'll be joining up with us shortly." Yumichika informed as he searched for a decent spot to sit and wait for the others. This wasn't exactly the most elegant of settings though…

Ikkaku, Kira, and Shuhei all being in town wasn't the best news for Ichigo in the slightest. That just meant there were three more sets of eyes to come and spot him with Girmmjow—wherever he was. Not to mention three more people to get in his way of collecting the crystal. "Great." He said, honestly lying.

"We have to be careful. Some witnesses to the early attacks say the creatures spit out a kind of web that quickly drains your energy, rendering you unable to fight against them, and it also causes heavy hallucinations. We need the whole team here if we're going into the nest." Yumichika continued, shuddering at the thought of crawling into a hole infested with disgusting, overgrown insects.

"Thanks for the information, but we can't wait for your friends." Nel said, then took off to the mines. Ichigo took that opportunity and bolted off after her.

"The nerve!" Yumichika said, then turned to the girls.

Rangiku shook her head. "Noooope! Hinamori and I weren't supposed to get involved!"

"I'm not doing this alone! I know both of you have your Zanpakutō with you."

"Maybe we could just scout the area?" Hinamori offered.

"…Fine! But you owe me, Yumi! I want an all expense paid week at the massage parlor when we get back home!" the honey-blonde said. "Let's go!"

* * *

"Your friends sure are interesting." Nel commented, breaking the silence between herself and Ichigo as they walked through the mines. They'd gone down so many paths that there was little chance of being caught up to by the others.

Ichigo sighed. "I didn't pick them to be my friends. They all just sort of came with the job…" The mines were pretty well kept, he noted. The lighting fixtures that hung along the walls were carefully placed, the wooden supports seemed to be holding up well, and there weren't any signs of recent collapses. All in all, it seemed like a safe place to work-

Nel suddenly shrieked as the ground beneath her feet started to rumble.

Before Ichigo could react, the earth gave way beneath both of their weight and they fell, tumbling against many rocks, until they landed on the ground far from their original location.

Despite having fallen from a moderately lit place, the spot to which they landed was incredibly dark. It was pretty much impossible to see.

"Shit…" Ichigo cursed as he sat up and rubbed his head. He was shocked when he felt a liquid on his hand after doing so. It was too dark to tell, but he could tell it was blood. "Nel!" he called. "Nelliel!" he said again after getting no reply.

"I'm okay…" the gypsy's voice came, raspy from the suddenness of their fall and the resulting bodily damage it caused. When she heard Ichigo coming her way, she stood up, struggling to do so at first. "I'm here."

"…We must be in some kind of tunnel or burrow…"

"Think so?"

Ichigo nodded, though he realized Nel couldn't see him do it. "Yeah, it's incredibly narrow in here. We shouldn't stay here, or we could wind up meeting one of those insects face to face in the dark." He told her.

"Good point."

Ichigo reached his arms out and touched Nel. After securing a hold on her arm with his left hand, he used his right to guide him as he progressed through the tunnel, noting that they were heading downwards at a slight angle. "You know, Grimmjow saved me back in a similar situation." He admitted.

"Is that so?"

"Yeah. We were in the jungle collecting a crystal. We wound up being attacked by a swarm of overgrown bees… He used his Hierro to shield me from their stingers when they fired them at me. It was pretty selfless of him." Ichigo smiled as he recalled it.

"I mean, it's not like they hurt him. It's a Hierro."

"But they did. He couldn't hold it for long, and he got hurt… saving me." Recalling it as if it were yesterday, Ichigo felt the guilt from his own issues back then come back to haunt him.

"Shocking… But where's this coming from? Aren't you mad at him?"

"Of course I am, but I still promised to get his arm back. I need to protect him so I can do that. If it's not saving him from whatever these insects are, it'll be saving him from my fellow Court Guards." The orange-head replied. Just after he finished speaking, he saw a light at the end of the path.

When they reached the area, they weren't pleased with their findings.

A high ceiling filled with some kind of web was overhead, and several dug-out tunnels faced them like crossroads. The light from the area appeared to be glowing from the web itself, strangely enough.

"How will we know which way to go?" Nel said. "I am not in the mood to check them all, nor am I in the mood for surprises."

Ichigo observed the tunnels carefully, and a glint of white in one of them caught his eye. "Over there!" he shouted, running over to his prized find.

Nel followed after, then raised an eyebrow when she heard Ichigo pull something out from the ground. "What is it?"

After turning to show her, Ichigo looked very displeased at the item in his hands. "It's Grimmjow's sword. It was stuck in the ground like it was used as leverage to keep him from being dragged…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: *I don't remember giving Kenjou's town a name, so I gave it the name Stormatown.
> 
> Our dashing Desert Prince returns in the next chapter!


	67. trial of earth crater

"...Where the hell am I…?"

A dark and rather cold room suddenly grew a bit lighter as candles were suddenly lit in the high-hanging chandeliers. Grimmjow glanced around, finding himself with the misfortune of being in the company of the other Espada sitting at Aizen's long meeting room table.

He was back in Las Noches somehow, stationed in this chair, at this table, in this room where he suffered several mundane discussions.

None of the Espada uttered a single word, yet they all appeared to be staring at him for some reason. It was very unnerving, even for Grimmjow.

When he made to speak, he found himself unable. He was alarmed at finding this to be the case. No matter how he tried, no sounds would come from his throat when he moved his lips.

"We've got a lovely little specimen today." Szayel-Apporo announced as he moved a few stray strands of long hair from his face to a comfortable position behind his ear.

A bag with what appeared to have a person in it was delivered into the room and dropped onto the table by a burly palace servant, who then bowed and took his leave. Grimmjow's bright eyes widened when he saw Kurosaki's familiar head of vibrant orange hair emerge from the opening.

" _Kurosaki!?"_

This simply couldn't be! His presence in Las Noches was never supposed to be public knowledge. Grimmjow had gone to great lengths to ensure none of the other Espada, Aizen, Ichimaru, and for _damned_ sure not that bastard Tousen, knew he was here.

Upon seeing Kurosaki being pulled from the bag by the perpetually curious Ulquiorra, Grimmjow made to get up, but found that he couldn't do that either. It was as if he was being forced to stay in place by some invisible force.

"Curious… Haven't I seen this boy before," Ulquiorra tried recalling where he had seen him as his emerald eyes ran over Ichigo's half-naked form. "Is he dead?" he said after noting how he was unmoving.

"Would you forget that ridiculous carrot top of his?" Yammy asked.

"Oh!" Nnoitra leaned forward as he seemed to realize something. "This is _his_ little toy!" he said rather pointedly in Grimmjow's direction, and then grinned, exposing those inexplicably long, white teeth of his.

Grimmjow fought and struggled to rise from his seat, but he was _still_ forced to sit in place. It appeared that the cat was out of the bag now, and he had to put an end to this before things escalated.

"Toy?" Yammy repeated, raising an unkempt eyebrow.

"Yeah, our little kitty witty has been fucking this kid's brains out every night for the past week!" Nnoitra informed as he sat back in his chair, getting comfortable again by resting his hands behind his head. "If the kid was a woman, I'm sure he'd have a bastard in his belly by now!"

"Oh, I see… I can't help but recall a time when I had a pretty little thing I enjoyed summoning to my chambers, but one night she didn't come when I requested her. When I saw her again and asked why she didn't, she told me she that she'd spent the night with _you_ , Grimmjow." Yammy rubbed his index finger against his chin as he recalled that incident. "She'd fallen head over heels for you, said she wanted to marry you someday…"

"Feh, can't imagine why…" Nnoitra mumbled. It was his opinion that Grimmjow was scum, no better than the dirt on the soles of his curved boots.

Still, Yammy's had been an interesting situation indeed. While Grimmjow had been emotionally detached from this woman during their night together, his more bearable size and his looks outweighed Yammy's starkly contrasting and exaggerated features. It was easy to fall into the idea of loving him, wanting him to oneself, and making him feel fond of you. Carrying that idea out was task one would need motivation, luck, and likely divine intervention to execute.

Grimmjow began growling very deeply and breathing heavily through his teeth when he saw Yammy reach out and snatch Ichigo over to him by his foot. The largest Espada observed the slender man who was lying on the table quietly. After a smirk found its way to his lips, he glided the boy's underwear off his body.

" _KEEP YOUR FUCKING HANDS OFF MY PREY!"_ Grimmjow snarled as he started kicking the table. Ichigo was his and _only_ his! He was never supposed to be exposed to the other Espada, and that was for his own good. But now…

"I haven't had a good fuck in days!" Yammy exclaimed as he undid his belt and lowered his trousers.

It came to light that Ichigo was not dead, just unconscious, when he screamed out as Yammy brutally forced his way inside him. Yammy used his oversized hand to cover Ichigo's face, effectively causing him to emit much less noise.

"Be careful not to rip him in half…" Szayel-Apporo commented, pulling a scalpel from his sleeve and walking over to this new experimental prospect. He seemed rather unfazed by the rape occurring before his eyes, as did the other Espada.

Grimmjow, however, could not control himself. It only worsened as he watched the deranged scientist make an incision in Ichigo's scalp.

"What are you doing?" Ulquiorra asked, halting both Yammy and Szayel-Apporo now that he'd suddenly reappeared.

"Ripping this kid open while I make Grimmjow watch! You know he's basically the problem child. Why not punish him?" Yammy replied with a wide grin.

Szayel-Apporo stared on, refusing to meet Ulquiorra's gaze because he was annoyed that he was being halted. "Well, I was curious about this color. It's so hideous that I wondered if he uses dye in it…" he said as he pulled the piece of the boy's scalp out, then rolled his golden eyes at the resulting scream.

"That's enough." Ulquiorra stepped back and made sure that both Yammy and Szayel-Apporo backed away from the boy. When they left Ichigo panting and crying on the table, Grimmjow felt more at ease.

Still, he couldn't just leave Ichigo lying there, naked and hurting for the other Espada to see. He had to shield him away from them; they meant him no goodwill. And while he meant the same by Kurosaki long ago, now he wanted to keep him alive… if for no other reason than fucking him every day.

Unexpectedly, Ulquiorra swiftly pierced through the center of Ichigo's collarbone with his hand.

Grimmjow was frozen, holding his breath in he was so shocked. Sure, he knew Ulquiorra had that odd habit, but for him to do it now… To prey that _was not even his_?!

This meant war! He would be sure to rip Ulquiorra's head from his shoulders and use it like a fucking football! Despite the ire raging inside him, for all it was worth, Grimmjow could only watch helplessly as the life faded from Ichigo's auburn eyes and blood flowed out from his new wounds.

Seeing red, Grimmjow thrashed about in his seat again to try retaliating. However, he was _still_ unable to stand.

" _Kurosaki!"_ The man's name was the only painful thought he could think over and over as he bit his bottom lip so hard he tasted his own blood.

A heavy presence suddenly took hold of the room; one that was so absolute and commanding that it forced him to remain completely still.

"I wonder if the least behaved of my dear Espada are the ones causing this commotion." Aizen's smooth voice carried across the meeting room, earning the attention of his following.

Cerulean eyes quickly shifted back to Ichigo's body when a sudden sunset golden light appeared over it.

"The boy was _not_ to be hurt by any of you." Aizen continued calmly as he walked past the three who had done Ichigo harm. He didn't even bother to look at them as he passed, ever sure they were considering their disobedience without needing to acknowledge them. He did, however, halt when he reached Grimmjow. The two made eye contact, and after a moment, he broke the silence, "You've placed him in several psychological cages, haven't you? You probably did so without even realizing it… And even though you may not approve of what they've done to him," Aizen motioned to Yammy, Szayel-Apporo, and Ulquiorra, "I believe _you've_ hurt him as well, considering your nocturnal activities with him…"

Grimmjow stared up at the King in silence. So many emotions were flooding through his mind right now that he couldn't even offer a response.

"In any case, he is in my custody now. Thank you for obtaining one of the keys for me. As a result, I obtained two keys. Splendid work, Grimmjow Jaegerjaques."

The Sexta was confused. "Keys…?" he echoed.

"That's correct. The keys to unlocking something I intend to use to take Earthia. Though…" Aizen smiled, "I hope you hadn't grown fond of either of them… They'll be destroyed after I've finished using them. But don't worry, you will receive compensation for them, which I think you'll find most agreeable."

Grimmjow was even more confused, but it was short-lived.

All of a sudden, he found himself lying in a pool of vibrantly clear, blue water with the sun shining brightly overhead.

Chancing a glance around, he noticed some palm trees standing tall and also hanging low that were lining the edges of the water, several green bushes with blooming desert flowers, and a small waterfall, all of which were surrounded by very high sand dunes. To his relief, he was able to sit up without restriction.

"Grimmjow."

Jumping at the sound of that voice, said man turned and grew relieved to see Kurosaki sitting a few feet away from him, unharmed and aiming a smile his way.

"Kurosaki!" He exhaled the man's name. "Kurosaki, you… You're alive…"

"I am. _We are_." Ichigo said with a smile as he stood up and approached Grimmjow. Against the golden sand and blue sky behind him, he looked like something out of a dream.

"I… I couldn't save… But…" he couldn't even focus on one thought he was so relieved.

"I promise I'll help you." Ichigo continued as he knelt in front of Grimmjow and gently ran his fingers along the larger man's stub of a left arm. "I promise." He reiterated.

Grimmjow reached out when Kurosaki's image started to ripple as though he was lying beneath water. He could not touch him, however. His image slowly vanished into a dark cloud of smoke, enveloping Grimmjow and preventing him from being able to see. Alone in darkness, he wondered if he was locked in some sort of illusion.

Even so, Kurosaki's words played in his mind over and over again.

" _I promise."_ He heard echoing gently all around him _._ His memory served to grant him other noteworthy expressions from their past as well, _"You took me instead so you could bring me back here…" "Grimmjow open your eyes…!" "Please don't leave me alone…!" "We won't be restricted by titles and kingdoms in the afterlife…" "We'll burn together…" "He's not my boyfriend…!" "_ _Fighting isn't everything you are, so please... please just… don't die because of simple-minded thinking like that!"_ _"I want to believe with all my heart in a God that would be happy that his creations were able to find love…" "_ _I said we'd 'burn together' because… well… I was thinking… that it may not have been so bad… you know, living in that kind of torture forever may have been a bit more bearable… if… you were there with me. We can be strong and endure it together."_ _"I want to find the answers someday…" "You should strive to achieve someone's love someday…" "All I ask is that you call me by my name, instead of referring to me like we'll never be able to understand each other…" "You're really cute in this form…" "Do you hate me…?" "I'm glad you came with me. We can make it through this journey together." "Are you jealous of Kenjou…?" "Open up and let me help you…" "After the journey is over, do you think we could come back to the beach?" "Don't forget me…" "I guess what I'm trying to tell you is that I've got feelings for you…" "I love you, and love never truly makes sense, it just_ is _…" "Do you want to go out with me tonight…? Like a date…?"_

Grimmjow bent forward after already having closed his eyes tight, the memories almost enough to overwhelm him. What he didn't understand was after everything he'd said to him, after everything he'd done to him and his friends, Kurosaki was still trying so hard to be at his side.

It was irrational.

"I may have loved you once, but whatever I felt back then doesn't exist anymore, Espada."

Cerulean eyes snapped open at the sound of those bitter words. Grimmjow quickly glanced around for some speck of light to show him his mate, to see the look on his face as those barbed words left his lips, but he was still engulfed in obscurity.

"I don't want to be with you anymore. Do you understand? I won't chase you to the ends of the world, and I won't ask for your affection either."

Unexpectedly, Grimmjow felt his heart begin racing as if he'd just finished fighting an uphill battle; beats so hard and so fast that he was sure the organ would jump straight from his chest. He didn't know why this was, but he did _not_ care for the idea of Kurosaki saying such harsh things to him. In truth, he never liked when he spoke sharply to him.

It reminded him of the times when all he wanted, all he lived for, was to destroy him.

But as people so often do, Grimmjow had changed. Eradicating Kurosaki had fallen from the higher points of his to-do list. Now, all he wanted to do was fuck him senseless whenever the urge struck. For this reason, keeping him from harm had become a moderate priority.

And, perhaps he had just grown used to Kurosaki talking to him sweetly… telling him how much he meant to him and how much he loved him.

"Grimmjow..."

Kurosaki was calling out to him, and the harshness that was in his voice a moment ago was now gone.

"Grimmjow!"

He felt something on both of his shoulders. They were like hands gripping them tightly, yet carefully at the same time.

" _Hey_ , wake up!" Ichigo ordered as he cut Grimmjow out from the web that held him against the cave wall.

When Grimmjow's blue eyes opened, glowing in the mild dark, he sighed and pulled him down. Grimmjow was a bit heavier than he remembered, so they wound up falling back onto the ground with Ichigo lying on the bottom.

"Ku…" Grimmjow was so discombobulated that he couldn't even properly formulate words.

Ichigo stared at him, his eyes holding hints of confusion and concern, and then sat up, careful with the larger man as he leaned him against a web-free part of the cave wall. "I see you really did come here without any clothes on…" he mumbled as he noted the other's nakedness. The cloak that was still wrapped around his neck probably didn't do him any favors as he came here.

Hopefully none of the townspeople saw the spectacle he assumed the Arrancar had made of himself.

"Kuro…" Grimmjow tried at his name again, then started breathing heavily. He was not used to having all his Reiatsu drained from his body like this. It felt like he hadn't eaten in days it was so bad. He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth in frustration. All he wanted was to vocalize how Ichigo was in danger here, but also how he was relieved he wasn't in the clutches of the Espada and Aizen.

And he wanted to ask something of him, despite how trivial he thought that something to be…

"Wow, I wasn't prepared…" Nel groaned as she came upon the two of them, shielding her eyes from the sight of Grimmjow's state of undress.

"Nel, can you go and find the guardian? I'm sure it's around here somewhere... I doubt anything would actually kill it. Let them know that I'm going to take care of this situation." Ichigo requested as he draped Grimmjow's cloak over his lower half and then rose from the ground.

"Y—yeah. But are you gonna just leave _him_?"

"Well no, we're in the egg chamber-"

"WHAT?!" Nel shrieked as she looked around. The moment she decided to turn her gaze upwards, she took a few steps back towards the way she'd come from. "They're hanging from the ceiling…?!" she squealed.

Normally, she was less disturbed by things of this nature. She'd traveled the world and seen all sorts of things, but this was just revolting. It wasn't like large butterflies emerging from their chrysalises, nor was it like watching giant honey bees collecting pollen on blooming flowers.

The eggs were moist, black and brown, and had the appearance of some sort of fungus growing on them… Despite this, she could see the larvae inside, their many legs crossing over their underbellies. Some of their eyes were open, glowing a deep green in the dark.

"Yeah… I'll go and find the guardian." Nel conceded as she moved away so the eggs above weren't directly overhead.

"I'm gonna hide Grimmjow somewhere where he won't get eaten by these things, then I'm gonna find the queen." Ichigo told her as he hoisted the heavy Arrancar on his back. "Assuming the leader is a queen…" he honestly didn't know. This seemed to be a new species, so there was no way he could.

Based on the uncountable number of eggs in this chamber, he could deduce that a queen had produced them; a massive one, at that.

When Nel took off in search of the guardian, he headed further into the burrow. And the more into the earth he went, the darker it got. There was a tiny glow at the far end of the tunnel just ahead.

Despite the looming sense that he could be attacked at any second, as well as the increasing darkness, he did find comfort in having Grimmjow back again.

Grimmjow rode on Ichigo's back without retaliation, despite how he was still irritated that he had to be carried like this. And it didn't help that he was in this miserable state. When he finally felt well enough to speak, he let his arm slip down and then gently grabbed hold of Ichigo's arm. "Kurosaki…" he called, exhaustion still abundantly clear in his voice.

Ichigo was surprised by the sudden tender feeling, especially coming from Grimmjow, and turned to face him. Despite their ever-darkening surroundings, he could clearly see the faint blue glow of the other's eyes. "Yeah?"

Oddly enough, Grimmjow's expected complaints about being carried weren't the response that came. "Don't let their web…"

"I know."

"…"

Ichigo could tell without even being able to see his face that Grimmjow was curious, if not confused, about how he knew this fact. So he decided to enlighten him. "Some of my friends are here…" he sweatdropped, sure this news would rouse the Arrancar's suspicion, "They're here to clean up the insect mess… But we're going to do it first. And don't worry… I don't have any intention of letting them get a hold of you."

Grimmjow shut his eyes, remaining silent rather than offering any reply.

"I'll keep you safe." The orange-head continued as they finally came to the end of the tunnel.

The area they came to was expansive and much better lit than previous ones. Ichigo stuck his head out of their little tunnel and noticed the way down was an immediate drop, sloping slightly in a curve as if it'd been dug out. There were also other holes in meticulously placed spots along the wall of earth, all of which were surrounding the one he and Grimmjow were in.

A little further into this crater that existed underground, a large mass of greenery was present, though seemingly out of place here. It hung from the ceiling overhead to the earth below, and it appeared as though one could enter into it.

"It's actually kind of nice down here…" he commented, thinking out loud. His eyes caught sight of motion on the opposite end of this underground chamber, and he squinted to see it. What he saw was a large, black insect coming out from a hole and running into the cover of the flora. That creature was almost the size of his family clinic—a frightening idea to fathom. "I take that back." He sighed.

"Kurosaki…" Grimmjow called, sounding a little better than he did a few minutes ago.

Ichigo knelt and then gently let Grimmjow off his back, leaning him against the wall after he did. He turned to face him. "What?"

"You're the only one who can do it… So watch your back." The bluenette resigned, averting his gaze to veil his awkwardness and his discomfort with the idea of delegating this to someone else. He didn't like the idea of Kurosaki _saving_ him, but he was well aware of his unquestionably indisposed condition. A quick glance back at the other allowed him to see his resulting wide smile.

After remembering he wasn't happy with Grimmjow because of their conversation when they first arrived in town, Ichigo backed away and stood up. "Don't go anywhere. I'll be back for you when I'm done." He said, and then jumped out of the tunnel to the ground below.

The only thing Grimmjow could manage as he felt his Reiatsu gradually creep back to him was watch as Kurosaki jetted towards the insects' nest.

* * *

"Find the guardian, Nel. Wander through this grotesque pit alone, Nel. Pretend everything is fine between me and Grimmjow when it's not, Nel." The gypsy's voice carried up and down the dug-out tunnel she was walking down, which, for some reason, was a little better lit than the others she'd been through.

"Did Ichigo say that?"

Nel spun on her heels as a hand touched her shoulder. "HIYAAAA-" she made to attack, but halted when she saw who it was who'd tailed her.

It was Samir and Axeley, the latter pushing the former in his wheelchair.

"What are you doing here?!" she shouted. This was no place for civilians to be freely roaming about, after all.

"We're coming to see where the insects came from before the Court Guards annihilate them." Axeley replied honestly.

Having forgotten about that detail, Nel scratched her head. "Oh yea, they were doing that, huh?"

"Did you find your friend?" Samir asked.

"Ichigo did. He's with him now, I think." Nel folded her arms, annoyed that she now had to babysit. "Well… I can't just leave you two here to become fodder… So c'mon…" she said, then sighed.

Playing mama wasn't what she signed up for.

After a while, they finally exited the tunnel, arriving at another open area underground. This one had openings above with lots of foliage hanging about—mostly vines and weeds. It was interesting that there were so many open holes scattered about to allow the sunlight to come in.

In actuality, she hadn't ventured too far from the crossroads where she and Ichigo had discovered Grimmjow. This wasn't because she wasn't trying, she just wanted to be sure she didn't miss anything. Who knows what crevice the guardian could be in, if he was even down here-

"MMMMMPHMMMM!"

The trio stopped dead in their tracks and looked up into one of the corners of the ceiling.

A plump man with spiky pink hair, a very large and round face, and tiny eyes was suspended above, swinging about as one of the dark insects watched him from the ceiling. His mouth and limbs were bound tight with the web to keep him from breaking free or calling out for help. These creatures were intelligent to some extent. That could have been an instinctual thing, though.

"Hey, uuuuh… These things weren't cute in their eggs… if this is what they look like fully grown…" she spoke with a blank expression on her face as she stared up at it. When the insect let out a hissing sound, she continued. "Maybe you two should-"

"Good luck!" Samir hollered from back inside the tunnel they'd come in from with his hulking friend standing guard behind him.

"Oh brother… What even is this? A comedy skit?" Nel sighed as she summoned her Zanpakutō.

"Don't let the web touch you!" Samir advised. "It'll drain your energy and slowly paralyze you!"

"Bring it." Nel baited the insect as it descended the wall, its long head and neck sticking out to keep an eye on her.

* * *

Though the mass of vegetation in the center of this cratered chamber was much more expansive up close, Ichigo didn't feel much fear. Whatever was hiding under the cover of these plants was probably doing so because they feared him. Why else would they hide?

He knew he had to avoid the webs they shot out, so he kept his distance to be able to spot and evade them; or any attack they threw his way.

Zangetsu's chain rattled as he lifted the ebony blade. He made the quick decision to attack first, rather than play this waiting game he was locked in. Because he saw at least one of them go into the grassy mass, he knew he had to make some kind of move...

Just as he swung his sword, a web fired out at him. He clumsily fell out of the way just in time to evade. Now on his side, he saw a much larger black husk moving about in shadows of the creatures' hiding spot.

"Must be the queen…" he thought, then got up again.

These bugs clearly had some kind of intelligence. They took to hiding so they could strike when he was most vulnerable—mid swing.

"Shit.." he cursed. It was likely that his Getsuga Tenshou would've cut through the web, anyway.

He made a quick attempt to swing his sword again, but several webs flew towards him from different directions. This led to him actively dodging the waves of them that commenced, leaving him no time to counter.

Grimmjow's blue eyes widened when he heard something very large slinking about in the area close to him.

Moving the smallest bit he was allowed, he stuck his head out of the tunnel and saw an insect the size of a small building quietly approaching Kurosaki from behind, crawling on the ceiling. The only reason he noticed it was because his hearing was far beyond any human's was. Gritting his teeth, he flung himself out of the high tunnel and tumbled gracelessly to the ground along the steep slope.

He forced himself up with the strength he had left and flipped over onto his back so he could aim his hand at it.

Ichigo was shocked when a ray of red fired overhead. The shock was apparently shared by the hiders in the plants because the webs stopped firing.

The orange-head looked over his shoulder and saw a monster much larger than any of the others fall from the ceiling to the ground, landing with a resounding boom and kicking up a great amount of dust.

"Did Grimmjow do that…?" he questioned aloud. He'd be in no condition to, considering his Reiatsu was pretty much gone.

He didn't have time to be distracted with it for long, because a deafening hiss sounded in the area. It was so bad Ichigo had no choice but to fall to his knees and cover his ears. He knew Grimmjow must have been suffering with his heightened senses, and also due to the high likelihood that he couldn't cover his ears since he was recovering from paralysis. Even if he could, he could only cover one of them.

"Grimmjow!" he yelled, knowing his voice would be drowned out by the screeching in the air.

Said man was in as much agony as he could've been. He was also screaming out from the deafening sounds of the insect's high-pitched, bloodcurdling cries. Eyes shut tight and doing his best to cover at least his right ear, he tried to bear it.

When covering his ears proved insufficient in drowning out the noise, Ichigo uncovered them and stood, then quickly raised his sword in the air. More webs came his way, threatening to halt his attack and attempting to subdue him once more.

The instant before they could touch him, wings of white energy shot out and shielded him, effectively deflecting each one of the webs.

Immediately, as if reacting to their failed attack, several insects tore out of the hanging foliage, charging towards Ichigo. His brown eyes scanned them and he noted that none of them were outstandingly larger than the others. With a few swings of his sword's crescent waves, he cleared them out of the way. "There you are." He breathed out as the largest one crept out into his sight.

"I, the Mighty Gegetsuburi command you to destroy that thing!" a voice shouted out of nowhere.

Ichigo turned and was shocked to see a large man wielding a spike ball on a chain, pointing at him directly. He sweatdropped and pointed a finger at himself questionably. "You're talking to _me_ …?"

"Yes, you! Do as I command and I _may_ reward you!"

"You're the guardian?"

Gegetsuburi turned red in the face. "DO IT OR I'LL BURY YOU HERE WITH THAT THING!"

Ichigo turned back to the creature, only to find it had gone from the place he last saw it. He raised his sword and parried an attack from one of its legs as it suddenly charged him from the side. It was a vicious creature, and each of its legs appeared to have razor-sharp edges. One wrong move and he was done for.

"Enough!" Gegetsuburi, whose patience had long since run out, started swinging his spike ball around and around until it slammed against the walls and even scraped the ceiling. It wasn't long before this caused a rumbling, which ultimately began the cavern's demolition.

Ichigo jumped a good distance away from the aggressive queen, or what he assumed to be the queen, and took advantage of the falling rocks above. As she dodged the heavy rocks slamming to the ground, he used his wings to shield himself and found the opening he wanted.

"Getsuga Tenshooou!" he roared as he gave a powerful swing of his sword. His heavy crescent wave tore its way through the falling rocks as well as the ground, ripping through the queen and bisecting her on contact.

The second he saw the divided pieces fall to the ground, he smiled, then turned and scanned the area for Grimmjow. The only thing he saw before the entire ceiling collapsed was Gegetsuburi throwing a tantrum as he knocked rocks away from himself.

~O~

After knocking the piles of rock that were covering him away with his wings, Ichigo crawled his way up to a higher spot amid the rubble. The winged power he'd called then dissipated, leaving him feeling a little weak after it did. Still, he carried on. He carefully scanned the area, noticing Gegetsuburi forcing his way out a slight distance away from where he was, but that was not whom he sought.

Grimmjow was strong, but being buried alive didn't seem like something he could easily surmount… especially not in his condition.

Another thing started weighing on his mind. Where was Nel? The guardian had arrived here, but she hadn't. Was she still okay? The insects might not have proved problematic for her, but who could have foreseen Gegetsuburi basically fucking shit up?

"You there!"

Ichigo rolled his eyes and turned, "Yeah?"

Gegetsuburi used a powerful jump to reach Ichigo's location, slamming into the destruction he caused with a grin. "What's your name?" he asked as he stood straight up.

"Kurosaki, Ichigo. You're Omaeda's Zanpakutō spirit copy, right?" No wonder this was the outcome…

"That's right! And…" the large man's spike ball transformed into a bag of potato chips, then he stuck his hand into it. "I guess this is yours." He said, handing Ichigo a dark golden crystal.

Ichigo was more confused than he was dumbfounded, "How'd you know this is what I wanted?"

"Your friend told me. That girl who cut me out of the trap I fell into and killed several of those annoying, overgrown bedbugs."

Obviously, whatever the creatures had evolved from weren't bedbugs. Not even mutation could alter their anatomies so drastically and increase their size so exponentially.

This guy was an imbecile…

Still, Ichigo took the crystal and thanked him. "Have you seen a guy with blue hair around?" he asked.

"Can't say I have." Gegestuburi ate his potato chips indifferently.

"How did you wind up getting caught?" maybe he could answer that.

"I was investigating the reports the miners came to me with. The police had already encountered some of these creatures in town at night, and so they weren't eager to go into the belly of the beast if you catch my drift." Gegetsuburi started munching on some more chips before he continued, "So I came searching for the source of the insects myself. I wasn't informed of their webs that drain Reiatsu and cause hallucinations. Nor did I know they cause heavy paralysis… All of it wears off in time when the web has grown old, so when I saw someone coming, I asked her for help… more or less…"

"Did you see which way she went?"

"She had some guys with her, and she said she was going to get them to safety, then come back for you."

"Guys?"

"They looked like civilians from what I saw."

Ichigo sighed and looked around again, "Great. Now I have to find everyone before it's too late."

"Too late for what? You finished off the queen. Your friend took out quite a few herself. And I killed some on the way to where you were." Gegetsuburi couldn't have been more satisfied with the job he'd done. The region was safe again thanks to his idea to just destroy the entire underground chamber.

"There's an egg chamber…"

"I don't feel any abnormalities in the area. I might not have seen that web coming, but I could feel them when they were around."

"Kurosaki!"

Ichigo heard a familiar voice call his name. When he turned, he saw Shuhei, Kira, Rangiku, Hinamori, and Yumichika coming towards him. They must've met up again just a while ago, because from what he'd been told, Shuhei, Kira, and Ikkaku—who wasn't present—had all been taking care of a task elsewhere.

"What's going on?" he asked as he subtly slipped the crystal into his pocket.

Shuhei looked around at the devastation and seemed to be just as curious as Ichigo was. "I could ask the same. Though, I can guess you and this guy completed the task we were assigned."

The orange-head nodded, "That's right, we took care of it."

"That's good. That solves one problem. But there's another one. We happened to come across some interesting characters who said they knew who you were, and one of them demanded we take them to you." Kira informed, serious as he ever was.

Ichigo's brow furrowed and he swallowed his saliva. His heart felt as if it would jump right out from his chest he was so nervous. "R—really?"

"Yea, so please come with us. We've got some questions for you." Shuhei told him, then started on his way back to town.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I have some things to bring up.
> 
> 1\. Please do NOT read this story on a site that is not FF or AO3. There are several sites out there mirroring FF with the intent, from my experience, of infecting your computer with malicious software. I tracked some of these sites down and reported them, and thank goodness I have a good anti-virus. But for the safety of your computers and privacy, do not read this story (or any of my other stories) anywhere but here or on AO3.
> 
> 2\. I'm considering a Q & A for this story once its completed. Hold ya horses there, buddy! Completion won't be for a while, yet. There's still much left to tell after the collection arc has completed, which I think you all will love. So take that how you will. I hope it makes you all happy for more angsty and wonderful GrimmIchi! I figure if you've made it this far, you're likely to see it through to the end. If you have any questions, feel free to ask them and I'll answer it them the chapter that accompanies the final chapter. I intend to have some author confessions in it chapter, too. Will be interesting stuff!
> 
> 3\. When first writing this chapter, I was thinking it would turn out to be a chapter that wasn't super interesting, but it really surprised me. I hope it ignited your GrimmIchi flames and reinforced any love you have for this story :)
> 
> 4\. Apparently this story won an award last year for Best Novel FanFic. I guess it is incredibly long... lol. Still, recognition is such sweet encouragement.


	68. golden night mate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I'll be honest, this chapter was probably one of the hardest to write for a few reasons. But the end result was very pleasing. Hope you all enjoy!

As they proceeded through the crowded and bustling town, mostly packed to the brim with late afternoon shoppers and people seeking lunch, Hinamori made sure to slow down and match speed with Ichigo. "Hey, good job with the…" she paused, trying to think of what to call them, "Um… _insects_..." she said, and then gave a smile.

Ichigo stared down at the petite girl, still nervous about who Shuhei and the others wanted to show him. He fake smiled and avoided meeting her gaze. "Ah… thanks… It's… you know… all in a day's work."

"I think the guys are thankful to you, even if they didn't say it." She continued, turning her attention to the three ahead; Rangiku strolling along right behind them, making four.

Rangiku must have felt eyes on her because she looked over her shoulder and slowed her pace when she saw Hinamori and Ichigo chatting. "Oh Ichigooo, I have a question for you~"

Already certain it was one he wouldn't want to answer, Ichigo lightly sighed. "And what's that?"

Rangiku's lackadaisical demeanor noticeably became a bit more serious. "Don't take this the wrong way… but I really am curious. What happened to you while you were being kept in Las Noches' palace? You were there for so many days… Then when you came back to Seireitei, you had the person who kidnapped you on your back…"

Ichigo avoided looking at either of the girls—an unfortunate habit he'd recently developed around his fellow Court Guards. "Nothing really happened... I was being kept in the dungeons."

A lie. An incredible lie at that.

Literally nothing could have been further from the truth. Although captive, he'd mostly enjoyed the life of a royal while he was there—the result of being kidnapped by a prince (Grimmjow's pleasure, of course). But there was no reason whatsoever that Rangiku, Hinamori, or any of the others needed to know the truth of those days.

"The dungeons? Weren't you taken by that prince?" ice-blue eyes turned skyward as their owner mulled it over, "Makes me wonder… Did _Aizen_ want you there for some reason?" This was a mystery indeed.

"Aizen-tai-" Hinamori caught herself from referring to him by his old title, "You think Aizen-san… wanted him there?"

"Eh!?" Ichigo realized he'd set of a reaction that might lead to a horribly misconstrued chain, "N—no! I heard the Espada say something along the lines of teaching me a lesson when he took me there. I doubt Aizen even knew I was in his palace." He said, not missing a beat by calling Grimmjow an _Espada_ , thereby imposing a semblance of emotional uninvolvement with him.

Hinamori decided to offer a question, seeing how Ichigo actually answered Rangiku's instead of dodging her like he usually did, "So how come you wound up with an Espada when you came home?"

"Oh! Yeah, you didn't answer that part!" Rangiku said.

"…He'd been attacked by another Espada while Aizen was away, and I wanted to get him some medical attention. At that point, he wasn't my enemy anymore." Ichigo took a second to process that statement. It felt good verbalize the point, especially for those who saw Grimmjow as such. "I figured Inoue could take care of his injuries, but she wasn't in Seireitei." The salt in his last point was hard to miss.

"Well, you get to see the world now that you're headed to the Capital to see her." Rangiku offered this solace and a smile to him. She knew he wasn't happy that Orihime was sent away. Anyone who knew him could anticipate he wouldn't be.

Ichigo slowed his pace, pondering that. He never really thought about it, but it was true. Had the Head Captain ignored Grimmjow's pseudo abduction of Inoue, surely she would have remained in Seireitei. And if that would've been the case, then what would have happened on the night of his return with Grimmjow?

Nothing could be said for sure on that account, but it's extremely likely Grimmjow would have gotten his arm healed and then returned to Las Noches shortly thereafter. The never would've wound up traveling all this time together. Well, that's assuming the others wouldn't ambush them the way they had and he actually got him to Inoue.

Brown eyes briefly found their way to Rangiku—the person who prevented Ichigo from keeping Grimmjow out of the Captains' custody that night.

That wouldn't be the case this time. Even if he had to go against them, he wouldn't let them get their hands on Grimmjow ever again.

When Shuhei took a quick look over his shoulder at him, he grew more suspicious than he was anxious.

"Where are we going?" Ichigo asked the girls.

"The hotel we were assigned to stay in." Hinamori replied.

"It has a five-star spa, a lovely view of the town, a complimentary bar, and a shuttle that will take us to the beach if we want. Oh, all expenses paid!" Rangiku winked. Her excitement about this was figuratively spilling over.

"Paid by whom?" Ichigo raised an eyebrow.

Hinamori adjusted the ties holding the bun in her hair together, "Kuchiki-taicho." She told him.

The orange-head's brown eyes widened. "WHA—why would he-"

"He sent us on a side quest… Well, I guess it's more of a priority for him… He's missing some… hmmm… precious _things_ , and he'd like us to find them if we can." The honey-blonde interrupted.

Ichigo was growing extremely curious. What could Byakuya possibly want them to locate for him that he would put them up at (seemingly) such a great expense?

Whatever they were, they must've been very important to him.

"Oh, there's the hotel!" Hinamori pointed it out as they turned the corner.

Having been so distracted by his chat with the two walking on either side of him, Ichigo didn't even realize he'd been led all the way back to the entertainment district. The hotel the others were staying in was, from what he could tell, just a few blocks away from the one Nel got for their group. Paid for by Byakuya, it was no surprise that it was the one that looked the classiest in the area. With its high walls of beige and fifteen floors, it stood taller than all of its surrounding buildings. It also appeared to be relatively new, no older than a year or two.

When they reached the main yard, which had a wide lawn of fresh-cut and healthy looking grass, ornamental trees lining the borders of the sidewalks, and a large fountain with statues that had clear water flowing from them, they spotted Ikkaku leaning against the wall near the large glass doors of the entrance, arms folded and looking rather jaded. Under the very warm, dim lights, he looked like something out of a romance film despite the expression on his face.

"There's our little babysitter!" Rangiku teased, waving her hand at him.

Yumichika was the first to reach him, offering greeting. When Shuhei reached him, he said something that made him take off through a gate off to the side of the building. Most likely, it led to some kind of garden or outside lounge area.

"Where's he going?" Ichigo asked when he, Rangiku, and Hinamori reached the front entrance.

"To fetch your friends." Kira answered as he took a seat on one of the benches. He'd been pretty quiet, which wasn't unusual, but still, Kira's austere presence didn't exactly put Ichigo's mind at ease.

Waiting patiently, Ichigo felt his heart thumping strongly, his palms sweating profusely, and his breathing quickening. As Ikkaku rounded the corner again, he prepared to draw his sword. Not for killing, you see, it was just in case tensions got high and he needed to _encourage_ his comrades to stand down.

"These are apparently _yours_." Ikkaku told Ichigo emphatically when he returned.

Ichigo immediately felt at ease at the sight of Pantera rounding the corner with Kon and Chile riding on his back.

"There he is!" Kon shouted. He jumped back, almost falling off of Pantera, when Chile shot forth into Ichigo's arms.

"Ichigo!" Chile called happily, burying his face in said man's stomach. "I missed you!"

"Chile?! When did you get back?" Ichigo asked, feeling an overwhelming amount of relief for several reasons.

"Just last night! I was coming to find you when I saw Pantera get taken by some oversized insects, so I tailed them and saved him. There were a lot of them near the mountains." The phoenix replied.

Orange eyebrows furrowed in confusion and concern, "Pantera got taken by those things?!"

He hadn't even thought that could happen. When he didn't find Pantera tailing him and Nel last night, he assumed the panther was off on his own adventure.

"Yea, but they couldn't use their web on me since I can turn into fire!" Chile said with pride.

"Yeah, his fire was actually quite useful." Shuhei added. "You're one lucky person to have a phoenix take to you like this."

"They're very rare! I doubt the Head Captain has ever even seen one, and his Zanpakutō controls fire!" Hinamori's eyes glistened with excitement as she came over and cautiously pet Chile's head. She ran her fingers down the back of his head then gently scratched along his tiny neck. "Where did you find him?"

Ichigo sweatdropped, "Um, some islands, which were impossible to find."

"Where did this panther come from?" Ikkaku asked.

Pantera kept a distance, still not comfortable around these other Court Guards. He could hear Kon mumbling something about how he was more special than a phoenix on his back.

"He's for a friend." Ichigo replied, a small smile gracing his lips.

"Oh, I delivered your message to Kenjou-san!" Chile said, remembering that was something important he'd been tasked with.

"Thank you! You did very well, Chile. I couldn't have continued on without feeling guilty if it wasn't for you."

"So you're just traveling with a panther, a phoenix, a plushie, and that girl…?" Yumichika inquired. It would be no surprise. Ichigo had a habit, whether it was intentional or not, of inviting odd characters to his side. What was frankly more surprising was him _not_ having the purse, the bird, and the odd string bean toys with him…

"Yep." The orange-head nodded.

"Alright Kurosaki, I guess we can't force you to come home. If you're going to the capital, I hope you have some way in. You can't just waltz in because you're visiting your girlfriend." Shuhei said, clearly about to go inside to relax. Before he did, he threw out a question, "By the way, when was the last time you saw Renji?"

Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "Renji? Not since I left the kingdom. Why do you ask?" Another refreshing morsel of truth to counteract the lies he'd been telling. At least everything he'd said wasn't false or withholding…

Shuhei was actually put on the spot. He hadn't expected Ichigo to ask why he asked that. Kurosaki didn't know there was a squad missing that had been tasked with finding him and bringing him home. "Eeeeh… Umm…" he blushed, feeling like he was under a spotlight now that everyone's eyes had turned to him.

"SHUHEI HAS A BIG, FAT, EMBARRASSINGLY INSATIABLE CRUSH ON RENJI!" Rangiku declared, breaking the tense and awkward silence.

Said man could have gone through the floor in mortification from the thought! Honestly, he'd rather have Ichigo know the truth than have him think something so stupidly untrue!

"What? On Renji?" Ichigo asked, near laughing. Given that he knew Renji so well, he found the idea to be a bit… well laughable. Not that Renji wasn't attractive, he just had an eccentric and idiotic personality most often.

Shuhei threw his hands up defensively, "N—NO! That's-"

"He told me himself, _thinking_ I'd keep it a secret. Hah!" Yumichika added, loving the idea of his _arguably_ heterosexual comrade being subject to rumors of this kind. It was so positively delicious.

"Well, when I see him again, I'll put in a good word for you, Shuhei." Ichigo smiled innocently, believing the gossip wholeheartedly.

"I'm telling you-" before he could finish, Shuhei was physically bombarded by Rangiku and Yumichika.

"Come on! He's actually good looking, if nothing else!" Rangiku said. "You two would make an absolutely cute couple! Remember those rumors about you two back in the Academy when you both took too long to come out of the bath?"

"Don't be a fangirl, Rangiku. If you embarrass him, he'll only pull away." Yumichika told her as they guided him on. This was something he was willing to fully throw himself into seeing come to light. "Besides, I think you're just trying to push him into Renji's arms so he'll leave you alone!"

"NOT TRUE!" Rangiku protested defensively.

"Take care, Kurosaki! See you in Seireitei!" Hinamori called, waving to him. She and Kira followed after the other three as they entered the hotel, leaving Ichigo alone with some of his little flock.

He'd recovered three, the gods only knew how Kon managed to get out of Nel's room, but there were two more he still needed to find.

* * *

As luck would have it for Ichigo, luck unbeknownst to him of course, Shuhei's squad actually didn't know anything about how he helped Grimmjow escape his execution or _why_ there was a squad looking for him. The only people who knew about it were Byakuya, who was informed by Renji, Unohana, who intuitively knew about his feelings for Grimmjow, Renji, Senna, and Rukia, who knew he helped Grimmjow escape and saw him leave Seireitei with the Arrancar's Zanpakutō in-hand, and Ishida and Sado.

So while Ichigo was certain they'd find him out, between the lot of them, no one was even aware that he had any further involvement with Grimmjow after he'd been taken from him the night he returned home.

Byakuya, the subtle saint that he was, had only entrusted Renji and his Retrieval Squad with this information, as it spelled certain treasons on Ichigo's end. The goal in doing so was to return him home and forget the incident ever happened, though it didn't go as planned at all.

After splitting off from Shuhei's team, Ichigo force fed Kon the crystal he'd earned and made to head back to the ruins near the mines, but Pantera insisted they return to the hotel—the place where Grimmjow had most likely gone to.

A short trip through the district led them back to their cozy lodging, and he found Nel in her room, safe and sound.

"Nel!" he called as he burst into her room and dropped Kon on the floor. Chile and Pantera came in after; Chile choosing to rest on the girl's bed which he assumed the two were sharing. The relationship between Ichigo and Nelliel didn't register to him as a sexual one, given he was just a babe, so assuming they'd bunk together was natural to him. Plus, he'd seen them sleeping in the same bed in Pagunia.

Not to mention Ichigo's affections seemed steadfast with Grimmjow.

Nelliel was in the outdoor bath with the doors wide open, so this little intrusion came as quite the surprise to her. "Eeek! Ever heard of privacy!?" she squealed, covering herself as she and her hammer-like fist tore into the main room.

"Glad you made it out in one piece." Ichigo said with relief, rubbing the new steaming bump on his head. He stared down at Kon, who was now partially stuffed under the bed with a footprint on his back for intentionally sneaking a peek.

"I did." Nel said, shutting the doors and returning to her private bath under the darkening sky.

"Did you happen to see Grimmjow…?"

Nel didn't respond right away. The sounds of water being rung out of a towel echoed before she did, "Yep."

"Great! Where is he?"

"Hmm… go check your room. I think you'll find a nice present in there for you." she said as she slipped into the large tub and ran her fingers through her hair, removing the impurities from those foul tunnels. "Oh, and leave the other three in my room."

"O—okay?"

"Just go on. Oh, Chile, you can come in with me if you want."

Ichigo nodded. "Thanks, Nel." He said, then went on his way, _locking_ her door when he left.

* * *

"Present? What present?" Ichigo asked as he entered his room and looked around for it. Generally, when someone says something like that, the recipient would find an obvious thing waiting for them.

Grimmjow's sword was lying on the bed, but that couldn't possibly be the surprise she meant.

He searched in the dressers, the entire kitchenette, under the pillows, under the bed-

His brown eyes caught sight of a trail of red rose petals going from the other side of his bed to the bathroom. Without hesitation, he crawled over the bed and followed it, opening the large bathroom doors. To his surprise, apart from being greeted with the open air, he was faced with several warmly glowing candles lining the high wooden walls, rose petals floating in the large tub's steaming water, and Grimmjow lying tied up and gagged in a corner—Nel's revenge, he took it.

"Grimmjow?" he called, walking over to the man and kneeling to untie him. He was tied with his hand connected to his feet, ensuring he couldn't get up or even move.

After removing the binds and the gag, he let a long breath escape as Grimmjow sat up, fell onto his arm, and then violently cursed up a storm. He hoped Nel couldn't hear the derogatory things he was saying about her, but her room was right beside his and she was currently bathing… Though, knowing her, if she _was_ hearing it she was laughing about it.

Out of breath, the Arrancar stood up and walked over to the tub. "If I had the mind, I'd shoot a Cero right through this wall…" He'd heard the little outburst just a few seconds ago, though mostly he just heard Nel squealing like she saw a ghost, so he knew her room was next to this one.

Still, it seemed Grimmjow was unaware of her Cero Doble ability…

"Hey, calm down. You kind of deserve it." Ichigo said when he saw Grimmjow's shoulders rising and falling rapidly, indicating he was probably a bit winded.

Grimmjow looked over his shoulder in annoyance, then turned and stared at the petal-covered water. He breathed in and out for a bit to try calming down, then turned to stare up at the darkening star-sprinkled sky. Choosing to offer no reply, he stepped out of his pants and into the steaming hot water, hoping this would calm his nerves.

"Did Nel let you put those on before she got ya?" the orange-head asked, referring to the ropes and gag left in the corner.

The bluenette rolled his eyes. "Leave it alone…" he brooded, his anger refusing to be quelled.

"Listen, it's good that you're okay. Just don't do anything that would give your Reiatsu away… And whenever you're done, let me know so I can take a bath, myself." Ichigo stood and made to leave.

"Wait," Grimmjow called. "You don't want to bathe with me?"

Although surprised Grimmjow even cared, Ichigo was pretty intent on leaving him to his own devices. "Well, I'm still pretty upset about you going off in search of a prostitute. I don't really think you need me for all the romantic stuff if you're looking for it somewhere else."

This warmly glowing, petal-covered, moonlit setting had plenty of charm, but Ichigo could tell someone had set this up, and it clearly wasn't Grimmjow.

"Kurosaki, stay here." Grimmjow's royal disposition was getting the better of him.

Ichigo stared at the other man for a few seconds, then replied, "Why do you want me to stay here?"

"Just stay. Please."

"…" Although slightly conflicted, Ichigo did give in to Grimmjow's plea. He seemed very vulnerable right now and, to be honest, he looked really good in this golden lighting with all those red petals floating around him. Plus, Ichigo couldn't even recall the last time he ever asked him anything in such a clingy way before.

It was a surprisingly appealing change of pace.

After removing his clothes, he folded them and carefully placed them a ways away from the tub, then went to sit in front of Grimmjow so that only his legs were in the hot water.

Grimmjow made eye contact for quite some time before his eyes trailed downwards and found their way to his manhood, which was practically right in his face.

"I'm not here for that." Ichigo informed. He dipped some water out of the tub and ran his hands over Grimmjow's head, cleaning his hair of whatever dirt and grime might have remained from that insect nest. The few petals he unintentionally scooped up in the process glided down Grimmjow's powerful form, one running over the large scar on his torso, before they returned to the bathwater.

"Did you find my sword?"

"I did. I thought I had it with me, but apparently Nel got a hold of it when I put it down in the tunnels… and you." Ichigo told him. "It's in the room."

That news came as a relief to Grimmjow. He hadn't seen much when the caverns started falling apart, and he didn't even know he'd been brought here, but he knew he'd lost his sword when one of those vile insects caught him with its web.

As a side, memory served to remind him that this was the second time Kurosaki had retrieved his sword for him; the first time being back in Seireitei upon his getaway during his scheduled execution.

"Thank you… And Kurosaki, I'm sorry for telling you the things I did… I'm… just sorry..." Grimmjow frowned. It was long overdue that he show the other _some_ decency considering that's pretty much all Kurosaki had ever shown (or tried to show) him. Hell, he was only here en route to the capital due to Kurosaki's goodwill.

Ichigo leaned forward and rested his arms on his thighs. Grimmjow's apology was sincere, there was no doubt about that. But still… "Look, I don't really mind you being so abrasive. I've pretty much accepted that that's who you are, and I'm pretty used to it. But Grimm, I _really_ wanted to spend time with you, and you basically told me to fuck off."

Blue eyebrows furrowed a bit, "I just told you I was sorry."

"Saying sorry _doesn't_ just _automatically_ make it better. Being sorry means you regret what you've done and you don't intend to do it again. It doesn't mean I'll just forget and pretend it never happened until it happens again."

Grimmjow averted his gaze down to the water. "Then I don't know what else to say."

"…" After allowing some silence to hold the open-air bath, Ichigo let out a slow breath and spoke, "As long as you _mean_ it… Just be more considerate from now on... It goes a long way." he said gently.

Still avoiding Ichigo's dark eyes, the Arrancar made to voice something, "Do you…" he hesitated, then dissuaded himself from asking. "…Never mind…"

"Do I what? Intend to continue to chase after you and face rejection at every turn?"

"You hate me now?" Grimmjow asked. There, it was out in the open now. The question caused them to become locked in each other's eyes for the better part of a minute.

Needless to say, Ichigo was surprised. He didn't even reply until he saw Grimmjow lower his head and sink further into the water. It was so unusual seeing him so insecure and disheartened. He truly couldn't bear to see him this way. "Grimm…" he called his name very lightly, "You can do some real messed up stuff, and you irritate me to no end most of the time… Not to mention how you've stepped all over me and basically ignored my feelings…"

Grimmjow's electric eyes flashed, the harshness they usually held returning, "Just forget I asked-"

"No," reaching down, Ichigo took Grimmjow's cheeks into his hands, "I still love you, Grimmjow. I could never hate you. The care one person has for another doesn't just go away overnight. Love is so much stronger than that." He said, and then leaned forward to press his lips against the other man's damp forehead.

Grimmjow didn't offer reply. He simply closed his eyes and took a breath of relief.

Pulling away, Ichigo ran his thumb along the tiny bit of fur at the edge of Grimmjow's eye. "You know how I feel, but Grimmjow, how do you feel about me? I really want to know. Just what does being your 'mate' mean? Am I important to you…?"

Cerulean eyes opened again and met auburn ones, "You're the one I want to fuck, Kurosaki. You're the person I keep seeing when I want to give my attention to someone else. We've spent this whole time together arguing, fighting with each other, fighting for each other, chatting about pointless shit as per your requests, fucking… that's why I called you my mate." Grimmjow sighed, unsure of how to say what he wanted to say. "Look, I won't say I'm in love or anything, because that's not something I've ever pursued, but at the very least, I care that you're alive. And I'm glad you and I are living together at the same time. Not only can you keep up with me in battle, but you're a bit less hate-able than pretty much everyone else I know when the fighting is over. And if nothing else, you're at least fun to argue with." He finished by offering an awkward smile that somehow retained his psychotic nature.

Ichigo returned the smile, his heart doing flips in his chest and the butterflies in his stomach fluttering vehemently. Instincts forced him to crash his lips against Grimmjow's grabbing his cheek in his right hand and his skeletal mask in his left again.

Grimmjow reached up and placed his hand on the smaller man's back, encouraging him to continue this embrace under the heat of the steam around them and the candle light that rivaled that of the moon.

By no means did the hallucinations he had make him fall in love with Ichigo.

No, they didn't accomplish that, but they did help him see that this kid had an ever-growing significance in his life. When all was said and done, when the world had dealt its cards to him, it was Kurosaki who stayed with him even in spite of all the shit he got for doing so. And that meant something to him.

Slipping fully into the water, Ichigo wrapped his arms around Grimmjow's powerful neck and leaned heavily on him, nearly causing them to fall beneath the surface. He ran the tip of his tongue along the other's soft lips, requesting entry. When granted the access he desired, he explored Grimmjow's mouth as much as he could and enjoyed in the taste of it until their tongues met to dance.

It was perhaps one of the deepest, most open-mouthed kisses they'd ever engaged in.

He gasped when he felt a hand glide down his side and then a finger eagerly slipping into his hole.

Ichigo broke the kiss, "Grimm, can…" he began a bit nervously, "Can I…" he blushed deeply at the thought, "Just for a little while, can I be the one to… you know…"

Grimmjow paused, staring down at Kurosaki. Although he never liked the idea, and he didn't particularly love it the first time they switched it up, he couldn't exactly deny him. With those swollen red lips, those flustered cheeks, and heavy-lidded dark eyes, he wanted to give Kurosaki some kind of physical satisfaction tonight.

"Yea, just for a _little bit_." He consented, biting Kurosaki's bottom lip before kissing him again. After parting and seeing the resulting smile, he gave fair warning, "Then your ass is mine."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this may be the first time in the history of a story that I ended a chapter before the good parts... In any case, a mature content warning is being issued for next chapter.


	69. woven together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING! This chapter contains mature content.

The sight of Grimmjow lying on his back naked on the bed was more than enough to earn a rise out of Ichigo. His eyes ran over the larger man hungrily, taking in the various forms his toned muscles provided for his viewing pleasure in the dim lighting the candles provided from the bathroom. The large scar he had given him during their fight in the desert was still quite prominent, running from his collarbone down to his pelvic region. The harsh memory of that fight and the sight of the mark now encouraged Ichigo's hand forward.

Without words, or even meeting Grimmjow's softly glowing blue eyes, he caressed the darkened skin tenderly, but stopped when he reached the hole he'd been warned to stay away from many times. He really couldn't help himself from gazing up at Grimmjow to stare into his eyes. He was such a unique and attractive person to behold.

Slowly, he moved forward and leaned in so that only a hair's distance separated their noses.

"This scar makes you look even more dangerous than you already are." He said quietly, breaking the silence that had come between them.

Heartbeat increasing as he began, he slowly slid his hand down and lightly wrapped his fingers around Grimmjow's semi-erect penis. He started stroking lightly, both wanting and needing to get it harder.

It worked very quickly. Grimmjow let several low moans escape as he closed his eyes and sank further into the bed. Ichigo briefly connected their lips—a chaste kiss—before trailing kisses down to his neck, where he started biting and sucking the warm skin.

"Ffffuuuck…" was the only thing Grimmjow managed to say as the tender assault continued, drawing the word out from the pleasure.

Ichigo moved up and bit Grimmjow's earlobe before he whispered in his ear, "Is this good?" he asked as he continued stroking, knowing the answer already.

Unable to resist in doing so, Grimmjow nodded once, "Keep going…" he implored more than he commanded.

A resulting accomplished smile graced Ichigo's lips as he trailed his kisses even lower, working his way down the man's muscularly sculpted abdomen that smelled of both musk and bath salts at the same time. It was an interesting thing, kissing the scar he made so long ago… It was nothing now but a remnant of a time when he detested Grimmjow and saw him as little more than a threat to society.

Surely this scar meant something more, though. Ichigo imagined Grimmjow had to have been in tougher scraps in his time—the battle with that other black-haired Espada in the desert being a clear example of that—yet the scar he'd given him was the only one he proudly carried around.

It wasn't long before he reached the end of the scar, which even bypassed the hole in the other's lower abdomen. And where it ended, the gentle yet unkempt hairs residing in Grimmjow's pubic region began. He treated them as no exception, greeting the hairs with his lips before giving his full attention to the fully erect prize in his grip.

Eagerly, he ran his tongue along the length of Grimmjow's cock a few times before he put his lips around the head. An encouraging hand on the back of his head ushered him down when he began sucking, and he was doing well with it until he gagged a bit. Although embarrassed, he did notice that Grimmjow quickly withdrew his hand when he did—a good sign any way you look at it.

He briefly looked up to meet Grimmjow's eyes again, which he saw contained a hint of concern.

"It's okay." He assured after pulling away from the stiff member. Once he comforted Grimmjow, he returned to the task at hand.

It was unquestionably exhilarating to be playing with Grimmjow's cock; stroking it and sucking it and earning those beautiful moans from him. Ichigo was well aware that this and his ivory Zanpakutō were Grimmjow's favorite belongings in this world. He certainly placed a lot of emphasis on utilizing them frequently…

To be the one to have both entrusted to him was telltale of the feelings his desert lover was quite possibly avoiding.

He needed to force Grimmjow out; needed to make him accept that he was his, and that no one else could have him. Though, he was unsure of how to accomplish this task. He at least figured what they were engaged in currently was a good place to start.

Although aggressively condescending and brazenly presumptuous, that prostitute, Hana, had a point back then. If Grimmjow had sought sexual gratification from another, it meant he needed to work on his sex game.

He continued sucking Grimmjow for some time, but after running his tongue over the tip of his penis, he was met with a taste of something strong. Grimmjow was already producing precum.

While it meant this was pleasurable for him, it wasn't enough. Ichigo needed more for lubrication.

After all, he needed to be stretched again considering the last time they played at role reversal was many, many nights ago on a moonlit beach—the place where he'd confessed his love to Grimmjow.

Ichigo pulled away completely, forgetting his task when he realized something: Grimmjow probably _never_ gave his ass up to anyone before. He smiled at the thought—he'd been convincing enough to be allowed this role.

Grimmjow stared down at him. "Why'd you stop?" he asked completely in a breath of desperation.

Jerked back into the moment, Ichigo blushed, "Just thinking about something…" he admitted.

"In the middle of _this_?"

"Yea…" he broke eye contact, incredibly nervous about what he was about to say, "I'm the only person who has ever fucked you, right?"

Grimmjow swallowed a mouthful of saliva. "What of it?" A hint of defensiveness could be seen on his face as he spoke.

"It's just an interesting thing. No need to look like that, Grimm. I couldn't ever judge you or think badly about you." Ichigo told him, then returned to sucking him off, adding strong-gripped strokes to his actions this time. He didn't need to look up to know that the other had thrown his head back in satisfaction again.

As he sucked, he also noticed Grimmjow rocking his hips in time with him. That was no surprise. Men do that from time to time, some every time, attempting to get as far in as possible. Even he'd been guilty of such the few times he'd ever been blown…

Reaching out, he took Grimmjow's hand into his free one, interlacing their fingers together. He knew when Grimmjow was getting close to climaxing from the way his breathing increased, and from how he squeezed his hand. The sounds of his toes cracking came from behind, even.

"Ugh…" Grimmjow grunted as he came. Ichigo wound up swallowing some of his orgasm, but he managed to save most of it, needing it for the next part.

After pulling away, he coated his fingers with the warm, white fluid.

And as expected, Grimmjow's semen had a certain potency to it. It certainly wasn't the best thing he had ever had running over his taste buds, but he'd grown somewhat accustomed to it ever since their first nights together in Las Noches. Of course, since it was Grimmjow's, he would accept it regardless of the taste.

By now, Grimmjow's skin was slick with sweat. He wasn't sweating excessively; there was just a thin layer of it on his tan skin. It provided the perfect highlights where his muscles peaked, making him look more desirable than he already was. The candles from the bathroom were still lit, providing a minimal light source for the main room, but still enough to make out a lover's form.

An awkward and unexpected grin found its way to Ichigo, "Can you flip over for me?" he asked nervously.

Grimmjow, having finally caught his breath, obliged and turned over onto his stomach.

It wasn't super noticeable prior to this moment, since Ichigo had never seen him in this position before, but he had a lovely plump bottom. Quite the nice surprise, it was.

"Hurry up, Kurosaki…"

"Don't be impatient." Ichigo told him gently, "I want you to feel good… You sure _look_ good." He continued as he carefully spread the larger man's legs. He wasn't used to handling Grimmjow in this way—delicately yet dominantly—but he was growing to like it.

He ran his cum-coated fingers up and down against Grimmjow's tight hole. With his clean hand, he moved one of his ass cheeks to the side for better viewing. It was a weird thing to think, but Grimmjow had a pretty asshole even with the hairs he had sprouting around it.

"I'm about to…" he trailed off, leading, as he started stroking himself with what was left of Grimmjow's cum. "I'm sure I don't need to tell _you_ to arch your back…" he continued as he eased his fingers in. They were greeted by warm tightness that was somehow encouraging him. It was incredibly sensational to stretch him like this, and he tried to make it more bearable when he noticed Grimmjow didn't take to it particularly well. "Sorry…" he apologized as he withdrew his fingers.

Moving to hover over him, he pressed the tip of his cock against Grimmjow's hole, still pretty nervous about what he was doing.

Grimmjow looked over his shoulder for a second, then arched his back. He grabbed hold of the sheets and bit his thumb as Kurosaki eased his way inside of him. It was slow and painful, despite how he'd _tried_ to prepare him. Kurosaki was not meant to be in this position, but he wanted to indulge him in the idea since he felt like he owed him something for treating him so kindly most of the time.

Unfortunately, indulgence for Kurosaki seemed to mean pain for him.

When he finally felt the other's skin press against his ass and the tip of his penis caressing something inside him, he released the sheets and relaxed as best he could. The unexpected feeling of Kurosaki's hand gracing its way over his and then his smaller fingers weaving together with his own again was somewhat comforting. Perhaps this is why he often did that when he was the one being penetrated...

Ichigo moved himself as close to Grimmjow as he was allowed, letting his stomach and chest connect with the powerful and sweaty back before him. "Are you okay?" he asked, near whispering. Grimmjow's comfort was of the utmost importance to him and he couldn't express it enough.

"I'm fine…" Grimmjow grunted.

"No pain?"

"Some… you did a shit job preparing me… But I can take it." He assured, refusing to surrender his hardened image. In a way, this too was a battle between them. Kurosaki just _temporarily_ had the upper hand…

"Sorry, I'm still not used to doing it..." Ichigo smiled at the harsh criticism being thrown his way. "Can I go? Or do you need me to pull out?"

"You'd better go before I get old already… I'm not getting on my knees for you again…"

"O—okay…" Wrapping his left arm around Grimmjow's neck, Ichigo pulled out a little, then slipped back in as carefully as possible. "I'm glad you let me, Grimm," he breathed right in his "mate's" ear. The feeling of being inside Grimmjow again, to have him moaning under him and the tight feeling of his ass, was a marvelous one indeed.

He got a slow thrusting pace going, seeing no need to be unnecessarily hasty and make this any more painful than it probably already was.

"…Fuck…" Grimmjow cursed through gritted teeth. He never imagined Kurosaki was big enough to give him pain. Then again, he never imagined he'd be doing this with him once, let alone _twice_ in a lifetime.

"God, Grimmjow…" Ichigo exhaled. Grimmjow was very tight around him; almost too tight. Feeling a bead of sweat rolling down his forehead and nose, he buried his face in the hair on the back of his lover's head. It was an almost regrettable thing to do because Grimmjow's hair was growing damp with sweat as well. Perhaps he should have adjusted the air conditioning before they began…

Surely they'd need another bath once they'd finished.

Regardless of their perspiration, the more he fucked Grimmjow, the more he wanted to keep this going as long as possible. He was so submissive right now—a sight Ichigo never really saw. He kissed the back of his neck, another way he attempted to convey his attachment to and pleasure with Grimmjow. He also had yet to release Grimmjow's hand; together they were holding onto the sheets again quite tightly.

Ichigo was taken by surprise when Grimmjow suddenly met his thrust, rolling his hips to do so. "Fuck…" he exhaled, near ready to explode. Something about Grimmjow like this was so god damned amazing. "You're some sex god or something." He thought aloud.

Grimmjow couldn't respond, though he was pleased with the compliment. He was still busy adjusting to this.

"Can I finish inside you?" Ichigo asked, nearing his end much sooner than he wanted. For him, it seemed that where fucking Grimmjow was concerned, a slow and steady pace would be his undoing.

"Be my guest… that was quick…" Grimmjow mocked, then rested his forehead against the soft sheets.

It was all Ichigo needed to hear before he lost himself inside his lover with a loud and satisfied moan. He buried his nose and lips in the small space behind Grimmjow's ear and drew as close to him as humanly possible again.

As he panted against the other, he couldn't help but think this night was like something out of a dream… He needed to remember it always. It was another of those treasured moments he had of this journey.

When Grimmjow fell flat onto his stomach, he went with him as a result and grinned.

A few idle minutes passed, allowing Ichigo to feel recovered and hope the same for Grimmjow. He pulled out of him very carefully and sat up on his knees to stare at the other for a while. When Grimmjow turned over onto his back and started stroking himself, he smiled again, glad this little session was not yet finished.

After a few more seconds, he crawled on top of the man, facing him and straddling his hips.

"I wasn't going to take you this way." Grimmjow said as he nevertheless allowed Kurosaki to near sit on his cock.

"You don't want me like this?" Ichigo asked as he presented his body for Grimmjow's viewing pleasure.

A smirk caught Grimmjow and he suddenly sat up, faking a bite at Ichigo's lips, before he fell on his back again. "You're lucky you're so damned pretty." He admitted, then started slapping his cock against the other's hole.

Ichigo's cheeks and even the tips of his ears reddened at the statement, "Idiot…" he said as he leaned in and wrapped both his arms around Grimmjow's neck.

"Want me to fuck you?" Grimmjow asked, earning a kiss after doing so.

"Fuck me 'til you can't anymore."

"A dangerous proposition." Grimmjow grinned wickedly. "I don't wanna kill you _just yet_."

"I thought you wanted me to stay alive."

"I do. To please my dick, I will help you keep living. But my sword needs pleasing as well."

Ichigo's playful tone turned much more serious. "One day, you'll have to choose. You either get to kill me, or you get to fuck me until we're old and gray together. Not that I'd ever just roll over and let you do away with me…"

There was no middle ground.

Offering no reply right away, Grimmjow brought his fingers up to Ichigo's mouth and ran them along his pretty lips. When he took them in and gave the coating he needed, he brought them down to the smaller man's ass and forced them into it. "That's something we'll deal with _one day_. For now we're still young and wild… And tonight you're mine."

"And you're _mine_ ," Ichigo countered, "Tonight and many nights to come…" he said, partly wishing it and partly vowing that it would be so. He drew in a breath when he felt Grimmjow's fingers start moving in and out of him. Honestly, his fingers provided a less pleasurable feeling than his penis ever could. He was momentarily relieved when Grimmjow removed them, believing he was ready. "Mmm…" he groaned as he felt the tip of his cock slowly press into him.

Burying his face in Grimmjow's chest, he bore the discomfort until it subsided and he felt perfectly comfortable with the intrusion.

Silently, they stayed like that for a little while. The atmosphere around them was thick with the unspoken appreciation and utter need they held for each other, especially in a moment like this.

Grimmjow took in a breath and found relief in the fact that he wasn't overwhelmed with heavy perfumes. Instead, he was greeted with Kurosaki's familiar earthy scent that was reminiscent of autumn and spring weather at the same time. Without much warning, he started thrusting in and out of him, drawing pleasure from the moans Ichigo emitted from the sudden feeling.

Instinctively, he brought his hand up and threaded the soft orange locks between his fingers. "Damn… Take it Kurosaki…"

There was a hint of contentment in Grimmjow's statement that made Ichigo feel the same way. "God, Grimmjow, don't stop," He nearly begged as he closed his eyes. His nose had become firmly pressed against said man's neck in the heat of the moment.

"Tell me…" Those familiar words were uttered yet again.

Ichigo's eyes opened slowly as he realized it. He'd been such a fool not to see it before. Grimmjow wanted to know; to be reminded. And he was glad to do so. "I love you," he said, tightening his arms around Grimmjow's neck.

"Aaaah," Grimmjow must have released all the breath in his body with that moan.

"I'll always love you." Ichigo continued as he rocked his hips to match Grimmjow's hastening thrusts. Chancing a glance up, he smiled at the other, genuine and true.

Having such a smile directed at him, Grimmjow couldn't resist connecting their lips in a passionate kiss. He didn't understand the urge per se, but he was glad of it nonetheless. This heated exchange of saliva served to bring him closer to Kurosaki—that closeness being the only thing in this world he wanted tonight.

"Jack off, Kurosaki." He instructed through heavy breaths and thrusts. "Cum for me again."

Ichigo wanted nothing more than to do as he was bid. He sat up perpendicular to him, riding his cock as diligently as he could, before he started stroking himself tight and fast. "I won't last very long… Not like—mmmh!" he couldn't even finish his statement before ejaculating. He came with a deep whimper, arching his back as it shot all over Grimmjow's stomach and chest.

Quickly, feeling his own orgasm upon him, Grimmjow reached out and pulled Ichigo to him, crashing his lips against the other's swollen ones again. With a few more forceful thrusts into him, he planted his forehead against Ichigo's and closed his eyes as one pleasurable wave after the next fled from his cock into the pleasantly warm and tight hole.

"Damn that was hot…" he breathed exhaustedly.

"Yeah." Ichigo agreed and then took to closing the space between them by laying down on Grimmjow, disregarding the sweat and cum that spread against his skin when he did. For some time, they stayed in place resting against each other. He wondered if Grimmjow intended to stay inside him all night after a while of him lying still like he couldn't move. The thought wasn't an outlandish one though, not to him. He loved the feeling of Grimmjow fitting so perfectly together with him like a puzzle piece. Though, he'd become flaccid eventually, then he'd have no choice in the matter.

With a satisfied grin, he nuzzled his nose against Grimmjow's neck. Right now it felt like there was nothing in the world that could surpass his desire to keep him close like this.

Lying rather comfortably with Kurosaki resting on top of him, Grimmjow felt at ease enough to lower his guard completely and closed his eyes. Sex never failed to have this effect on him, but a lowered guard was really only an allowance he gave himself with Kurosaki in moments like these. He didn't want to leave this bed so long as he was here with him—a thought that shocked him no sooner than it was conceived. He rationalized that it was a heat of the moment kind of thought.

What came as no surprise was when Kurosaki's hand slid into his own again.

Their stomachs and chests rose and fell, eventually achieving a perfect harmony. Heartbeat against heartbeat, they lay with that lingering mutual sense of comfort and satisfaction.

"We should probably bathe again." Ichigo suggested, even though he did not want to break the peace they were enjoying.

Grimmjow freed his hand and then removed himself from Ichigo's rear end before replying, "We've fallen asleep like this before." Surely they could again.

"That was when we were…camping?" Seemed to be the right term for all the times they weren't sheltered like they were tonight. "Besides, you like bathing. I know you do."

"Oh? How?"

"Well, I've been around you all this time. How could I not?" Ichigo countered skillfully, "You're a pretty good swimmer, but you don't like deep water. I noticed that, too."

Grimmjow let out an amused chuckle, "How observant of you. Stop keeping tabs on me."

Ichigo sat up a bit. "Come on. We can relax some more in the water. Let's not dirty the sheets up."

"A bit late for that…"

"I didn't make it onto the sheets." Ichigo objected as he felt himself growing warm, particularly in the face. He could've sworn his range had been limited to Grimmjow's stomach and chest...

After thinking it over, Grimmjow decided he could indeed use a hot bath. When Ichigo climbed off the bed, he got up and followed after him, watching his ass as he walked.

The open air was a welcome shift from the stuffy room. As it greeted their skin, it virtually dried their sweat.

"Goddamn it… Should've used cold water first…" Grimmjow commented as he cleaned his chest off, or tried to.

"I didn't realize this is what happens when hot water mixes with _it_!" Ichigo said, embarrassed as he too scrubbed his chest and stomach in the water.

"Forget it." Grimmjow gave up took to floating on his back. The bath would eventually cleanse his skin on its own. On his back, he had no choice but to stare at the stars that decorated the sky above. Well, he could've closed his eyes, but the view was something to marvel at.

"It's really nice," Ichigo began, but paused as he tried to find the right words to say, "Being here with you… like this."

Blue orbs found their way from the sky to the orange-headed man. "Is it?"

"Yea… I've got to experience a lot with you on this trip…" He smiled as he spoke. These were honestly the most eventful few weeks in his young life, and he was glad that he could spend them with Grimmjow. Nothing would be forgotten to him about his time after meeting him for as long as he lived, of that he was certain.

Even so, the end of these eventful moments was in sight now, and he wondered just where they would go when they reached it.

"Don't get all sentimental on me." Grimmjow closed his eyes, avoiding Ichigo to some degree. He really didn't know how to respond to him acting this way. It was easiest to just let him get it out and then return to his nagging, stubborn self.

Though, thoughts like those would be the perfect example of the pot calling the kettle black…

"I'm surprised you're not still fuming." He continued.

"I haven't forgotten what happened, but I'm an adult. I can move on and learn from it." Ichigo said cockily.

"As long as I don't have to hear about it anymore."

"Well, I guess there is something you could do to make it up to me so you _won't_ hear about it anymore." Ichigo began scheming.

A blue eyebrow rose in sparked curiosity. "And what's that?"

"You have to go on an actual date with me. _But_ , you have to do it in Seireitei."

Grimmjow smirked, "Ever the schemer, eh? I told you I'm not interested in going back there."

"Listen, you don't have to stay for long, but I intend to make it so you can come and go in the kingdom as you please. That way we can see each other regularly. Isn't that what you want?"

"Something like that…"

"Asking a date of you isn't asking too much…"

"I don't want to visit your kingdom. I don't like the air or the people or the quaintness of the place."

"Then I'll be harping about this for the _rest of eternity_."

An annoyed sigh escaped Grimmjow, "Fuck! Fine, I'll think it over!" He spat in defeat.

Ichigo smiled, surprised that he actually managed to earn that response. He certainly was able to get what he wanted from Grimmjow; always in due time. "Good." He stated simply to avoid pushing Grimmjow back to his unreceptive response from earlier.

Grimmjow opened his eyes when he felt Kurosaki stop him from floating and then forced him to stand.

This was it, Ichigo thought. Now or never.

"Grimmjow, listen. I know we've had our differences, but we've had our commonalities as well. You like being around me, and I like being around you, that much is clear. This is shit timing, but…" he took the larger man's hand into his own, "I want to _be_ with you. I want a future with you. I don't care if we're in different kingdoms in a day, or two days, or in a week. All I want is to be yours, and for you to be mine. I wanna grow old with you, which of course means I'll have to watch out for you…" he trailed off as he recalled the way they'd fled the desert outside Las Noches together, "But I'll be here for you. Please say you'll be here for me."

Grimmjow stared down into Ichigo's determined eyes. "Kurosaki, I was never cut out to be what you want me to be. I'll never treat you the way you expect someone to—someone like a boyfriend or a husband. Why do you keep trying to change what's going between us?"

"BECAUSE I CAN'T SEE MYSELF WITHOUT YOU ANYMORE!" Ichigo admitted with a forceful tone, "But I don't wanna be some fuck toy of yours. I want the romantic stuff. I want the… the happiness of knowing there's someone there for me… to talk to me and be around, and it'd make me happy knowing it was you. Just… please… give it a chance? I know you're not perfect, but I'm not either. I don't know _anything_ about this. I've never been anyone's boyfriend before. But we can teach each other what being together means."

Even though he couldn't convince Grimmjow, he still felt his heart beating strongly as if it would move his whole body if it wanted to. This wasn't easy to express, no matter how many times he'd tried to in the past.

Through it all, he had not released Grimmjow's hand, but was still holding it tightly, warmly, and lovingly.

The silence between them, cut only by the quiet sounds that the creatures of the night outside their private little bubble made, was enough to make him close his eyes. All he wanted was to hear Grimmjow agree to be with him. They could figure it all out in time if he just gave it a chance.

Instinctively, he moved forward and embraced Grimmjow's bigger frame in a hug. With his forehead pressed against the other's collarbone, he tried to think of anything else he could say to sway him.

Grimmjow's gaze returned to the night sky again, "Don't expect the world of me, Kurosaki. Don't try to make me into something I'm not. If you really can accept me the way I am, then let's see what happens between us." He said, breaking the tense silence at last. Any uncertainty he had about moving forward "together" was replaced with a grim sternness with his next thought, and he turned back to Ichigo—who was now staring at him with a glowing smile and watery eyes. "But don't forget that my goal is and always has been to sit on the throne in Las Noches. Nothing and no one will ever come between that and me, not even us."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Did you guys love this chapter? Because I did. And the timing couldn't be more appropriate considering spring started today.
> 
> The dorks getting together officially has been a long time in the works and it's about time it happened. Ichigo finally convinced him, yaey!


	70. the crossroads

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Many apologies for the long wait. The story has entered a much less concrete area that I have to work through, so updates will be less frequent. However, I am shooting for at least one chapter every month, hopefully every two weeks if it comes to me.
> 
> Also, last chapter seems to have you all desperate for more. No worries there! I know the ending of it all, so it's just a matter of working through the few gray areas to get there.
> 
> Hope you all enjoy the new chapter!

The birds' gentle morning songs were the first things Ichigo heard as he awoke from his deep slumber. As he became more aware of his surroundings, he found that he'd somehow managed to become mostly swallowed up in the soft bedding. He actually had to dig his way out of the blankets, but was taken by surprise when he bumped into Grimmjow, who was lying comfortably on his stomach with his hand resting in his pants.

Flipping the sheets back a bit, only enough so his head was exposed, he stared fixedly at his Arrancar. The quick decision came that he wanted to spend as much time snuggling with Grimmjow as possible, so he crawled up beside him and draped an arm over the larger man's waist, not sparing on the awkwardness by any means.

He was still marveling in the fact that he and Grimmjow were together now; " _an item_ ," as he'd heard his little sisters and even Senna call it when describing a relationship. A "couple" sounded better, more romantic even. Moving in closer, he pressed his cheek against the other's warm left shoulder and rested there. It was his left shoulder, so of course his arm was still missing...

Ichigo never really gave this much consideration before, but he hoped he could actually convince Inoue to heal Grimmjow's arm. The last time she'd seen them, they were concluding an intense battle, and then he was taken by Grimmjow. It was only natural that she should have some reservations about doing the deed.

But he would convince her to do it somehow. They'd always had a profound effect on each other, after all.

He was drawn from his thoughts when Grimmjow turned his head to face him. He offered a smile, but of course Grimmjow was still asleep, seemingly unbothered by his skeletal mask that was now pressed into the pillow. Gently, Ichigo reached out and threaded his fingers in the cerulean hair. It was soft, as it had always been. One would not expect such a gentle feeling from Grimmjow, who did not appear to have a gentle cell anywhere in his body.

He breathed easy with his cheek against Grimmjow's skin. It was beyond bliss to just lay here with him like this. Right now, this collection of crystals was the only thing keeping them together; the only thing keeping them from their roles in their respective kingdoms… So he was grateful for it.

"I love you," he whispered instinctively, knowing Grimmjow would not hear his quiet message. Even so, he said it because it felt good to. It felt _right_ to.

And Grimmjow's calm face—which only made an appearance when he was sleeping—was so captivatingly encouraging. His lips were the tiniest bit swollen, and somewhat parted. Ichigo couldn't help but move his hand down and run his thumb along them, carefully so as not to wake him.

At some point while lying against Grimmjow, he fell asleep again and did not awaken until the warm sunlight crept in through the blinds at the head of the bed and caressed his face—an undeniably gentle wakening.

He immediately saw that Grimmjow had turned his head again, so he was facing away from him now. Sitting up slowly and supporting his weight on his arms, he yawned and rubbed his eyes a little.

"Grimm," he called. The idea of interrupting the Arrancar's calm sleep wasn't one he enjoyed, but they needed to get up and face the day together. It was time to go; they couldn't stay here forever. Reaching down, he gently shook Grimmjow. This earned him an annoyed snarl. After moving his hand to the back of Grimmjow's neck that had grown warm from the sunlight, he took in a breath. He rubbed it gently, and then slapped it hard without mercy. The sound filled the room and could probably be heard in the hall.

Grimmjow shot up like a bullet with a confused and exasperated look on his face.

Ichigo quickly embraced him in a warm hug, pressing his nose against the side of his neck.

"Kurosaki?!" he still seemed very confused and angry. "What the fuck was that?"

"Morning sleepyhead..." Ichigo smiled as he glided his hands up and down the other's toned back.

Yes, Grimmjow was his now. Boyfriend, mate, other half, or lover, call it what you will. Those were simple labels, honestly. What was truly important was that Grimmjow had agreed they were together—he would give a relationship a chance.

Grimmjow fell against Ichigo's stomach quite heavily and rested again, "Morning." He replied in annoyance. He was not ready to wake up just yet, and he was beginning to suspect Kurosaki had caused the subsiding pain on the back of his neck.

"Hey, so what's up with you these days?" Ichigo asked.

"What do you mean?" That was a very vague question, after all.

Ichigo carefully considered his phrasing. "Well, back in Las Noches," he began, "you were always the one to wake up early and go out and do things. Now you're sleeping in late."

"I don't have any hunting to do, and I have no more meetings to attend since I'm not an Espada anymore. Besides, right now, I'm tired…"

"Hmmm…? Was I too much for you last night?"

Grimmjow grinned against Ichigo's stomach, "Yeah right, kid."

"Grandpa Grimmjow." The younger teased.

Annoyed, Grimmjow turned over so his head was rested in Ichigo's lap. He contemplated paying him back for that slap he gave, but decided against it. "What is with you clowns always giving me a shitty nickname?"

"It's just teasing. We wouldn't do it if we didn't love you." Ichigo aimed a smile at Grimmjow, staring down into those vibrantly blue eyes of his.

"I can do without."

"Your hair's gotten longer." The orange-head observed as he ran his fingers through it. It was indeed longer now, but not by much.

"I haven't had it cut in weeks. I don't have a palace barber like I did back home." Grimmjow said as he started running his own fingers through his hair. His hand was immediately met with both of Ichigo's, and then taken in by them.

"You remember what you said last night?"

Grimmjow smirked. "Of course I do."

"About us?"

"Oh… yeah, I remember."

Orange eyebrows furrowed a little, "Wait, what did you think I meant?"

"I don't know… something about fucking you through the bed…"

A faint blush slowly found its way across Ichigo's annoyed face. "You have a one-track mind…"

"And you know it."

Ichigo sighed very heavily, "I meant about-"

"Yes, I remember telling you we could be together." Grimmjow interrupted, and then gave a teasing smirk.

"Do you know what that means?"

Cerulean eyes rolled, "Of course. You're trying to force a future with me."

"No." Ichigo contested. "It means we're together. You and me. But specifically, that means no more prostitutes for you." he corrected with an overdose of irritation in his voice.

"Yeah, yeah."

"I mean it."

"You've made that abundantly clear, mom."

"I will _fight_ you, Grimmjow. You don't scare me, and I'm going to get you in line."

Said man's ear instinctively twitched at the sound. "Really?" he asked. He hadn't been challenged by Kurosaki in a while now that he thought about it.

A very stern and serious look took Ichigo's face. He quickly stuck one hand into Grimmjow's hole and used his other one to grab the man's nose tightly. As Grimmjow grabbed his arm and his face contorted from the extreme discomfort, Ichigo replied to him. "Yes, really. I want you to know that I am the only thing you need now. Do you understand?" Grimmjow did not respond, likely due to the hurt he was feeling. Seeing this, he released him and huffed. Being forceful was the only way to get Grimmjow's attention, which was a true shame.

When he thought it was over and done, Grimmjow yanked him forward and slammed their foreheads together. The crashing, coursing pain made him bring his hands up to hold his forehead and cry out in pain.

"Don't do that again!" Grimmjow warned, then fell back on the bed to massage his own sore forehead.

"I'm not fucking around with you, Grimmjow!" Ichigo's voice came from under his hands. He lowered them and stared Grimmjow in the eyes with a vehement fire he thought he'd extinguished long ago. "If you don't want me, if you want to keep seeing random people all your life, and if you think you're better off without me, then we can split ways here in this fucking town!"

The unexpectedly harsh proposal and profanity sent Grimmjow to the point where he was beside himself with shock.

"…You… made a promise to me!" Grimmjow snapped. That promise was his only defense in this situation, and he knew it. Kurosaki had him beat every which way now, and he did not like it one bit.

"I did! But I made it because I felt something for you! I cared about you and didn't want you to die alone in the desert or be crippled for the rest of your life! Seeing you in pain and so miserable… I wanted to save you from it all! But _you_ tell _me_ if I should keep it! Are you worth it?!" As he spewed these words, Ichigo had no doubts that his feelings for Grimmjow were more than enough to prove his worth, at least to him. But he needed to ask the question anyway to make Grimmjow understand the gravity of the situation and answer it for himself.

Grimmjow felt his heart thrashing against his chest—a feeling he only recognized when facing an enemy he had the possibility of losing to. He decided he didn't like this feeling. He didn't like being put on the spot with no true defense; not of his own making, anyway. It was a slow realization, but he did come to terms with the fact that he had the correct answer. Meeting Kurosaki's gaze was undeniably hard because this debate was one he'd effortlessly won. "Kurosaki, if you still care about me-"

"Don't you dare try to turn this on me and make me seem like the bad guy." Ichigo told him.

"…Then don't abandon me. I know what you want from me. I know it all, damn it." He did. Grimmjow knew Ichigo wanted a future. He wanted them to spend time together. He wanted them to be faithful to each other. He wanted them to be happy as a couple. He wanted them to live in each other's company. He wanted days of joy and calmness. Grimmjow knew all of this because, although not all at once, he'd been told. "I won't sleep with anyone but you as long as you and I are together. I'll be loyal to you like you are to me. And…" he paused, trying to think of how to phrase this, "I'm not saying this because it's what you want to hear. I'm not saying it because it preserves your feelings. I'm saying it because you've been good to me all this time, and I appreciate that. No one else would've stood up to an Espada or the entire Seireitei kingdom the way you did because they care about me." His  
Fracción didn't go out on a limb and die for him because they loved him, it was pure subordination coupled with the thrill of standing against their rivaling kingdom. The gypsy didn't do what she did for his sake at all. It was for Kurosaki that she stuck her neck out. Ichigo was the only one in the world who put him above all else…

Grimmjow paused and took in a breath to push him to the end. "But don't stop now when I need you the most." He finished, defeated. It was not easy to admit that he needed help. He was a prince and a former Espada, after all. Help was something he never knew the meaning of, even as a child—especially as a child. When he was an orphan, he stole because people turned him away with their noses in the air. As an adult, he took what he wanted because his power and ranking as both an Espada and a royal allowed him to do so.

Even so, he'd admitted he needed someone's help now—a simple truth.

He hoped it would calm Kurosaki down.

He wanted him to believe in what he said because it was completely true.

Ichigo stared at him for a few breathless moments without reply. God, how he hoped he would be satisfied with his answer.

"Say something." He implored.

"Grimmjow," the smaller man sighed gently. "If we are together like you say we are, then show me. Don't just tell me. That's all I want."

After a moment, Grimmjow replied. "I will." he assured.

"Alright…" In truth, Ichigo did not like seeming like a restrictive dictator in a relationship. But with Grimmjow's past misconduct, he needed to set the rules early to forestall any unpleasant or hurtful events that neglecting his behaviors might bring. Grimmjow was not a lost cause, but leaving him to his own devices would likely breed immense heartache…

When Grimmjow stared at him with that unreadable look on his face, he shifted his position and leaned forward to rest on his warm skin. "I hope we have a bright future ahead of us." He breathed out, smiling at the thought of a long and happy life with his Arrancar.

Grimmjow closed his eyes and brought his hand up to rest against Kurosaki's soft hair. He offered no reply, but deep inside, he did want this forthright little firecracker to stick around for as long as possible. Admitting it would feel too awkward, so- "I want you… you know… around, too… Kurosaki." He clumsily said.

Ichigo looked up at Grimmjow, happily shocked at his words. A gentle smile graced his lips before he moved forward and connected them with the other man's. "You're an oaf, Grimmjow. But I love you anyway." He told him when they parted.

* * *

Seeing Samir sorting through some papers at the front desk encouraged a smile from Ichigo as he approached him. He hadn't expected to find him working this morning, and it was good that he was here so they could part ways properly.

Grimmjow followed somewhat closely behind Ichigo, his own rear end giving him a negligible amount of discomfort as he walked. He near bumped into the shorter man when they reached the counter, as he grew a tad distracted by the movement of the shorter man's ass.

"Morning, Samir." Ichigo greeted, and then placed his keycard down on the counter.

"Hey there, Ichigo. Had a good night's rest?" Samir asked before taking the keycard and then taking a moment to put it in the correct spot under the counter.

"For sure." The orange-head replied, then jumped when he felt a hand start groping his ass. He grew warm all over his body and turned in an effort to escape the tight grip. Thankfully, Grimmjow got the hint and stopped before Samir's attention was back on them.

"Glad to hear it. So," Samir looked Grimmjow up and down very carefully, "Is _this_ your boyfriend?"

Ichigo imagined he couldn't have gotten hotter if he was tossed into a volcano. "Yea, it is—he is! Officially." He stated, alluding to the insecurity he voiced about Grimmjow when they first met.

"Wow, that's quite the stroke of luck. You two look like a really great couple—you're both so strong and good looking. I hope you find lots of happiness together." The younger man told them, offering a warm and honest smile.

Ichigo, and even Grimmjow, were astonished by that statement. Ichigo refused to turn his attention towards Grimmjow, too nervous and embarrassed about Samir's observation. Grimmjow took a step back and put his hand into his pocket, looking off into the hotel's outdoor café where other guests had gathered.

"Umm, thanks…" Ichigo stepped back from the counter, but accidentally bumped into Grimmjow—who had already distanced himself.

"Did I make you nervous?" Samir asked as he wheeled himself to the door to the back room. He waited for just a second, knowing he wouldn't receive an answer, before entering the room.

Ichigo chanced a glance at Grimmjow, who met his gaze for half a second before-

"Hey there, bums!" Nel's voice came as she made her way into the lobby with Chile in her arms and Pantera at her side. "Had a good night?"

Ichigo's brown eyes found their way to her, "Please… let's just… not…"

Without a word or warning, Grimmjow went on to the front doors, leaving the lot of them behind.

Nel stopped when she reached the front counter and leaned on it, pulling her keycard from the pocket in her long, green hoodie. It stopped at her well-shaped thighs, and thus, one would question whether she was wearing bottoms beneath it. "What's _his_ problem?" she asked as she watched Grimmjow leave. "Did you not give him any last night?"

"Nel!" Ichigo could have gone through the floor.

"Wait. Is that…" the gypsy raised an eyebrow as she watched Grimmjow walk, noting the faintest and almost nonexistent limp in his stride, "OH! MY! GOD! ICHIGO! I AM SO SHOC-"

Desperate to quiet her, Ichigo threw both his hands over Nel's mouth. "SHHHH!" he insisted.

Grimmjow turned to look over his shoulder, suspicious of the outburst that he and probably everyone else in the hotel had just heard. He instinctively rolled his bright blue eyes when he met Nel and Ichigo's gazes, then continued on his way to the exit.

Nel grinned a wide and knowing grin against Ichigo's hand. Pantera stared at Ichigo in slight shock, whilst Chile remained clueless.

Kon, who was being toted in Nel's booksack, thought about asking, but was cautious of Ichigo's reaction. So instead, he remained silent. The Kurosaki children were not to be tested, he'd come to know this over time. Each one of them had their flaws, and Ichigo's just so happened to be a short temper coupled with abuse for small plushies.

"Nel, don't make a big deal about it." Ichigo told the girl, then removed his hands from over her mouth. "Sorry for that, by the way."

"No problem, _lover boy_." Nel teased, then giggled. She hadn't called him by that name since her grand entrance into Seireitei with her horde of giant birds. It suited him well, though. "I guess you somehow manage to get whatever you want from that _asshole_ , huh?"

Ichigo deadpanned, not even dignifying that with a response.

"Well, I was returning my keycard. You don't have to wait up. I can meet you outside."

"Nah, I wanted to say goodbye to Samir, anyway."

"Oh…"

"Also," Ichigo smiled a little. "Did I tell you he agreed to go out with me?"

After processing those words, Nel smiled too and tilted her head, "What?"

"Grimmjow and I are a couple now."

Pantera and Chile were staring at him along with Nel. No one said a word, and even the other guests' conversations in the background could be heard clearly. The ticking of the clock on the wall made the silence that more noticeable.

"MR. MAGIC STICK OVER HERE!" Nel blurted out suddenly.

Ichigo nearly died from embarrassment. Thank God Grimmjow had left the building already.

"What's going on?" Samir asked as he came back to the front counter.

"Ichigo has the magic stick, or hole, or whatever!" Nel informed as she slid her keycard to him. Her excitement on the matter rivaled her prior dissatisfaction with Grimmjow as a person in general.

"Huh?" Samir was incredibly confused.

"Don't mind her!" Ichigo interrupted, slamming his hands down on the counter. "Thank you for your kindness and hospitality, Samir. We're heading on the road, so this is goodbye for now. But we'll stop by to visit sometime again."

"Oh, yeah! Anytime! You're more than welcome to visit! Next stay is on the house!" Samir told him.

"Good luck with Axeley, by the way. I think in time the wounds will heal, and you two will have something very special."

Of course, Samir did not realize _exactly_ what Ichigo meant by those words. But he thanked him and waved him and his friends off. His jaw dropped when he saw the panther trailing behind them, who he hadn't seen over the counter.

"Take care now! I'll keep _this one_ in line!" Nel called as they exited.

* * *

Crestown is a massive establishment; ever crowded with constant hustling and bustling and also growing steadily. Its size has increased to more than half of Seireitei kingdom's in the past few years, and it has started to become frequented by citizens from there and even the High Palace. In the time of its expansion, its one main entrance it originally had soon became four grand ones. The northern entrance, which Ichigo and the others were currently heading towards, led out to a road that stretched for miles. Apart from the splits in the road, if keeping straight on it, one would ultimately be led to the vast mountain terrain where the High Palace resided.

For most of the walk and especially as they neared the exit, Ichigo made the decision to walk closer to Nel than anyone else. For some reason, he sought her company right now. He did happen to notice Grimmjow, who was a few paces ahead of them, look over his shoulder at them twice.

Something else he noticed were the reactions Grimmjow was getting by the townsfolk. Most everyone he passed looked at him curiously, if not nervously. Some actually went out of their way to avoid him, whilst still staring in shock. It was undoubtedly due to his prominent skeletal mask, considering his missing arm was hidden beneath the cloak he was wearing. Ichigo could tell Grimmjow was ignoring the stares and glares, but they were still getting to him.

"You know, I'm actually very happy for you." Nel said, aiming a smile at him as they walked side by side. She petted Chile as he rested comfortably on Ichigo's shoulder, seeming to have missed him last night. Pantera was walking just behind them, but he eventually made his way around them and caught up with Grimmjow to be at his side.

"Thanks." Ichigo said, half-absorbed with what was going on with Grimmjow.

"Are you…" the girl paused, hesitant, and looked away for a quick moment. "Are you happy? Like… genuinely?"

She imagined he was, but she wanted to ask it out loud and hear his response. In doing so, she could read him as he spoke like a book.

Ichigo stared at her for a moment, shocked a little from the question. He slowly grinned though, part from embarrassment and part from pleasure. "I am happy, Nel. Sure, Grimmjow is a pain sometimes, but I still like being around him because he's more often than not really fun. And I'm sure the feeling is mutual." He said.

At hearing those words and running them through her brain, Nel turned her attention to Grimmjow. By now, she'd noticed how much of Ichigo's was being given to him. She didn't say anything in particular; there really was nothing more to say. Somehow, Ichigo had achieved one of his goals on this journey. And since he did seem genuinely happy, she didn't want to question it or devalue his state of mind.

And to whatever fate she'd seen coming for him, she would do everything in her power to preclude it.

It came as no surprise to her when Ichigo increased his walking pace to catch up to Grimmjow. She knew why he did, too. Before she discarded her old skeletal mask that used to rest atop her head, she received the same treatment in places unfamiliar with the custom; specifically any place in the world that was not Las Noches or Seireitei, or closely bordering cities and towns. The vast majority of people were not aware of what Aizen had done to Earthians in order to build his Arrancar army.

And even though she knew Aizen had goals that stretched to each corner of the planet, she could not tell how exactly he would go about achieving it. This was mainly due to his having agreed to a treaty with Seireitei coupled with his inactivity since then.

Another thing that did not add up was why Grimmjow was not extinguished for violating the treaty that had ended such a costly war. In her time as an Espada, disobeying orders was punishable by death. Yet here Grimmjow was alive and well…

What made him so special that he could escape punishment not only once, but twice?

She looked on as Ichigo reached him and walked very near to him.

"Hey, you do know which way to go for the crystal you're getting, right?" the orange-head asked his taller companion.

"Yes, I do Kurosaki." Grimmjow replied with disinterest.

"I'd think you would be more enthusiastic about this since you'll be getting your arm back sooner."

"Oh, I'm just jumping for joy on the inside…" the bluenette told him.

The funny thing was, even though it seemed like he was being his usual sarcastic self, Ichigo couldn't tell if he was or if he was being genuine. His brown eyes soon turned from staring at his mate to the passing townspeople, who were noticeably less abrasive towards Grimmjow now that he was walking beside him. Part of him wanted to take hold of Grimmjow's hand, but he was standing on the wrong side of him to do so. Not to mention his cloak covered him from his neck down. And it would just draw more attention to them, which he was sure Grimmjow did not want or need right now.

So he decided to just walk at his side as his equal, but also as his boyfriend. The world didn't need them to openly display this fact for it to be so. The two of them knew it, and those closest to them knew it—excluding Ichigo's family and other friends, of course. Their time to learn this lovely little secret would come. Since it seemed they would be reaching the Capital very soon, Inoue was the next in line for this disclosure.

Right now, he removed the thoughts of revealing the secret from his mind to simply enjoy being with Grimmjow. Someday he would flock back to this memory of walking through this gorgeous town, along with many others from their time together, and he needed to take in as much information about it as he could while it lasted.

~O~

The long walk through the expansive entertainment district of Crestown led them through to the industrial district, where they found the town's northern entrance. As far as the eye could see in the distance were mountains capped with heavy coats of snow and ice. Hovering high above them was the High Palace—the Capital City.

As the group exited the town, they soon found themselves at a three-way fork in the road. A sign was posted, detailing where each would lead. Not that it was needed, however. Ichigo had the map that Akako's father had given him.

The path that led straight on would guide one to the mountains. A small, recently built resort for vacationers was at the base. But for Ichigo, his path led up into the high mountain peaks where the Ice Cavern crystal was sure to be waiting.

The path that diverged to the left meant a trip to the valley, where it stated on the map a village resided that drew its energy from the many sturdily constructed windmills. This is where Nel was going. It was fitting considering she was floating through life as if riding a gentle breeze.

Finally, the path to the right, which veered only slightly from the central straight road, spelled a trip to a sanctuary of the sun and the moon. Nothing about this place was noted on the map. Though, it was clearly a place of worship, perhaps even for the gods—some religious groups of Earthia were polytheistic as opposed to the monotheism in the Holy Book that was commonly regarded in the main kingdom. This is where Grimmjow was being sent.

"Ichigo…" Nel said, giving him puppy dog eyes when she caught his eye, "I want to ask you something."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "Yea?"

"I want to bring Chile with me, if that's okay with you and him."

Somewhat surprised, Ichigo questioned her motives, "What do you want to take him for?"

Chile stared at Nel curiously, but didn't speak.

"I know he'd be useful to you in the snow and ice, but I think it would be best for _him_ if he came with me to the valleys. I could help him learn to fly better than he already does. Think of it as training of sorts."

"…" Ichigo couldn't give an answer, but he did take Chile from his shoulder into his hands. "Do you want to stay with me, or go with her?" he asked.

Chile seemed undecided. He did love being with Nel, but Ichigo was the one he belonged with. "I…"

"In the end, it'd be good for you both. Chile, you can learn to fly better even against heavy winds, while Ichigo, you won't have to worry about two babies."

Confused, Ichigo stared at Nel. "What?"

Grimmjow rolled his eyes, standing off where his path began as he watched the others make their decisions about Kurosaki's little ball of fire. When he saw Kurosaki place the chick in Nel's arms, he was somewhat surprised. Then again, he couldn't be really. He often sent Pantera off on his own to do his own thing—sometimes with Kurosaki. The need of a spirit animal only came in battle, so sending it with a friend or loved one was a viable option when this was not the case.

He also knew Kurosaki would likely spend time growing his phoenix in Seireitei when this journey's time expired.

When it seemed like he and the gypsy had split ways by slapping palms and exchanging brief words, he waited for Kurosaki to come his way. However, he was disappointed when his mate only waived at him and started on his way north.

"Kurosaki." He stated, catching said man's attention. This action even took his panther by surprise.

Ichigo halted and stood with a confused look on his face. When he wasn't receiving words from Grimmjow to explain why he called out to him, he went over to him. "What's up?" he asked.

Grimmjow averted his gaze to the blue sky above, "You're not gonna see me off?" he asked. A smile was aimed at him shortly after he'd asked, he could feel it.

Instead of questioning this, Ichigo simply got close to Grimmjow and wrapped his arms around his neck. He held him amidst the spring's warmth in a loving embrace. He also made sure to kiss Grimmjow before separating. Just before he released him, he felt an arm wrap around his waist. What was surprising about it was that Grimmjow hadn't groped him or anything of the sort, he simply held him close.

"I'll see you around, Kurosaki. Don't freeze to death in the mountains."

"Yeah," said man replied as their embrace came to an end. "I'll see you soon. And don't you become some fanatic. I like you the way you are." Mostly, this harkened to the desert oasis where he and Grimmjow had that discussion about beliefs. It was something he vividly remembered about Grimmjow not because he sought to change his way of thinking or convert him, but because it was interesting to hear such a starkly different view of religion.

Ichigo was always intrigued by what was different in the world, rather than what was the same. It was perhaps a factor in why he was so interested in Grimmjow—who was more or less his polar opposite.

He reached out and gingerly scratched Pantera behind the ear, "Take care of him, Pantera." He said with a smile.

" _I'll see that he stays out of trouble. Be careful, Ichigo. I await our reunion already."_ The panther told him.

With one final glance into each other's eyes, Ichigo and Grimmjow parted ways to walk their separate paths.

This farewell and parting of ways, though decidedly ephemeral, would not be their last…


	71. the new life

_"No more asking why, no more wasting time counting regrets. Forgive and forget…" - Holley Maher_

* * *

Temperately vibrant sunrays shined onto the tall buildings of the Capital's vast downtown district. The numerous glass and brick buildings stretched so high they practically touched the clouds. They were a maze to navigate, quite honestly. The bright sunlight reflecting off the many glass surfaces was occasionally more of a nuisance than it was a beautiful sight, particularly for those working _in_ the buildings.

Presently, the district was aglow with the many citizens, most of whom were on their lunch breaks. Restaurants and other small kiosks were overwhelmingly busy with lines out the doors—impatient customers in a hurry to reach the front of their respective lines. There were countless conversations in the air, accompanied by the occasional clip clopping of horses walking the streets whilst pulling elegant carriages, birds chirping in the trees' comfortable shade, and calm wind echoing as it danced weaving paths through the still infrastructure.

A handsome young gentleman held the door open for Inoue as she exited a busy bakery with a glass bottle of milk and a neatly wrapped donut in hand.

She nodded to him with a gentle smile, clearly not failing to draw attention to herself because of her beauty. "Thank you." she told him as she passed by. She did not miss the extended stare he gave her, either.

Unfortunately, her bright disposition and appearance often earned unwanted attention of strangers. However, this man did not pursue her as others had very rarely done back home.

Her white, floral-printed dress billowed in the wind as she started down the carefully-patterned stone pavement, headed to the only place in this city that she'd found comfort in. Under the sun, her bright orange hair shined, showing off how well she took care of it. It was perhaps the one thing she took pride in about her appearance thanks to Tatsuki.

It didn't take her long to arrive at the entrance to the park—the place where the trees were standing tall and in abundance. After coming to her favorite bench, which sat opposite a vast, shimmering, and clear lake which contained several levels that ran into each other, she took a seat with her goodies.

She looked around with her stunning silver eyes, noticing the people on the park trails, some who were exercising, and smiled.

Though warm and lovely, her smile belied the pain in her heart.

This city was gorgeous and expansive. It contained far more culture than Seireitei had. More than anything, it was a privilege to be here, even though it was not her choice to come.

And therein lay the issue.

Inoue had been forced into this city, although, in all fairness, she did not fight the order. She was here in body, but her spirit remained in Seireitei, still.

It was her home. It was where she grew up, and the one place she knew like the back of her hand. Of course, it was where she met the people she'd come to love, and being away from them for all this time was heavy on her heart. This new life in the Capital was not hers, she was simply holed up here until it was allowed that she return to her kingdom.

"Orihime," Lily called.

Suddenly drawn from her fixation on her tranquil surroundings, as well as her moderately dejected thoughts, the redhead called Lily out from her hairpin. "Good afternoon Lily!" She smiled, this time wholeheartedly. There was, after all, no need to be depressed around her Shun Shun Rikka spirits.

The tiny spirit flew out and gazed around at the familiar area briefly before turning her attention to her human counterpart. "You've been coming here regularly and sitting all alone on this same bench…" Lily began. "Have you… made any new friends yet?"

Turning her attention to the direction of the city's central division—where the royal palace existed—Inoue gave reply. "Well, some of the people in the Zero Division have been really nice to me."

Of course, Lily was aware of the attentions people generally gave Inoue. She knew that since she'd arrived, perfect strangers as well as the captains in the Zero Division had treated her incredibly respectfully. She also knew Inoue hadn't really been a social butterfly. But she wanted to talk with her and perhaps get her feel on it all.

Inoue's spirits had avoided this subject for so long in order to spare the girl's feelings. But it was time to address it if she was to be genuinely happy again. Tsubaki was certainly not the person to bring it up to her; he was notorious for his bluntness with her. Shun'o was perhaps the only other candidate for speaking to her about this since Ayame was too shy to do it, so Lily was unanimously the best choice out of the six of them.

"So that's a no…?"

"Well…"

"Orihime-"

"It's fine, really. I have friends back home; more than enough, really." Inoue's gaze moved to the cherry blossom petals drifting on the lake's surface, "And I don't want to get attached to anyone here! Especially since this stay isn't permanent."

Truly, she believed this to be the case.

The terms detailed to Inoue before she was sent here was that this stay was temporary. She could return to Seireitei when suspicions concerning Aizen were formally dismissed. As she was unaware of the strong distrust for Sosuke Aizen among the captains in Seireitei, she didn't recognize her stay was quite likely more long-standing than conveyed.

"Have you gotten any letters from home?"

Inoue turned her gaze to the ground. "I haven't… But only a few people know that I've been sent here. I wasn't allowed to tell anyone besides the Court Guards."

To her knowledge, Ichigo, Rangiku, Renji, Rukia, and the captains were the only ones who knew she was here. However, she didn't know several others knew where she was. Of those, Grimmjow was one. Of course, it ultimately defeated the purpose for him—a Las Noches prince and former Espada—to have this knowledge. The point in sending Inoue to the Capital so hastily was to keep her out of Aizen's line of sight.

Thus, who knew what would become of Grimmjow the moment he entered the Capital and it was revealed who he was…

Lily watched as Inoue carefully unwrapped her donut and took an eager bite from it, jelly spilling out a little after she did. "Maybe you should try writing one… I think Tatsuki would be glad to hear from you and know you're okay, even if you don't tell her where you are."

"Mmm!" she quickly swallowed her food as that realization hit her, "I didn't think about that! I could write to her, and Michiru, and Chizuru, and Ishida-kun, and Sado-kun, and-"

She paused abruptly as something occurred to her. She remembered she would most likely not be able to contact Ichigo because she didn't actually know where he was. For all she knew, he could be on the other side of the world trying to escape from the Espadas' clutches. This idea completely derailed her much needed burst of joy and excitement.

Truly, she was clueless. She didn't know if Ichigo was still a captive of the Espada who attacked Seireitei. She didn't know if he was even alive anymore… And this lack of knowledge troubled her very, very deeply each time it crossed her mind; the many times it had since she watched him be carried away that day.

For what purpose could a prince have gone to such bold lengths to defeat and take Ichigo from their home, she wondered.

"Orihime, just start out with one friend." Lily told her, already aware of what was going through the girl's mind. "Write to Tatsuki. She'll be happy to know you're alright. It'll do you some good to talk to her. I know you two are close."

Inoue nodded and a smile slowly returned to her lovely face. "You're right." She said. In the back of her mind, she made herself believe Ichigo was safe, and solidified this idea with the many times she'd seen him arise from a tough situation. As she did, a cool breeze started to blow gently against her under the bright summer sun.

Oh, how she wished she could see the others again…

* * *

Weather more cold and treacherous than anyone could imagine was raging atop the many ice-capped mountains, which spanned as far as the eye could see. Only a fool would brave the storm at its strongest, near the summits. And this is precisely what Ichigo would do because he did not have time to squander. In order to meet up with the others in less than three days time at the Capital's entrance, he had no choice but to get on the move up the frozen slope.

White snow fell delicately against his warm skin as he stood out in the winter cold. The wind blew mildly against his solid form that was protected by the heavy cloak he'd just purchased from the resort several paces behind him. Thankfully he'd gotten a little money from Nel some time before they'd split up. Despite the fierce weather near the massive mountain peaks, the weather closer to the ground was much more tolerable.

In fact, it was only lightly snowing and the wind wasn't enough to hinder progression to the mountain trails by any means.

Ichigo exhaled, his warm breath becoming visible as it briefly mingled with the open air and then disappeared, then started on to the base of the mountain. He had asked around in the resort about the guardians of this region, only to find out the temple resided at the summit of the highest mountain in a cavern that had been unvisited by men in several years.

"I'll be the first in a while." He said with a grin that was almost similar to Grimmjow's.

~O~

Not long into his ascent up the mountain, Ichigo found himself engaged with much less desirable weather conditions than he faced on the ground. This was to be expected, but the change from a rise in a few miles was astronomical. The wind had picked up immensely, so strong that it threatened to throw him from the trail back to the ground far, far below. He had to hold onto his cloak to keep it from blowing off, not to mention it was the only thing keeping his hands warm. At certain points, he even had to stop and brace himself from the great force of the wind.

As he carried on, the snow kicked up beneath his feet in his wake, surprisingly gently in spite of the storm. Ichigo eventually came to a stop and surveyed his surroundings. At some point, he'd stopped paying attention to how long he'd been on the rise and paid more attention to the simple process keeping him alive: one foot in front of the other along the trail.

He'd come a long way, the resort was little more than a blur of warm lights twinkling amid the icy blues and tall trees of the expansive winterscape.

In hindsight, it was best to let Chile go with Nel. Who knows if he could have withstood the below freezing temperatures…

" _Ichigo."_

Ichigo halted altogether, taken aback by the voice calling out to him. He bent forward to avoid the winds coming at him. "Old man Zangetsu?" he smiled.

" _It's been a while, huh?"_ Zangetsu said. Ichigo could practically feel the smile the old man wore.

"It has. Eh, sorry about that… I've been very preoccupied…"

" _I'm aware. And it's no problem, really. I've been a little busy with something myself."_ The spirit informed, leaving it at that.

"Oh?" Ichigo asked, then quickly closed his eyes and turned away from the onslaught of wind. "Hey, this isn't the best time to chat…"

" _I know, but I have this information for you."_ Zangetsu began, _"This storm is not one you will be able to navigate for much longer. I can feel a certain Reiatsu coming from it the higher you climb. Why are you not using your Flash Step?"_

Ichigo froze in place, a wave of realization striking him harder than his father ever had during one of his in-house training bursts. "I didn't think about that…"

" _Well, even if you were to-"_ Zangetsu was cut off when he sensed a sudden shift in Ichigo's Reiatsu. " _Heh, be careful, Ichigo."_

From his place inside Ichigo's inner world, Zangetsu had been paying very close attention to the things that had been occurring in the real world. He was aware of all the crystals Ichigo and his gang had collected so far, and he knew they were close to their objective of attaining them all. He knew Ichigo was having doubts about what was to come once their journey ended and what it meant for him and the people he shared his life with. Most of all, he knew all the plans Ichigo was creating in order to keep Grimmjow by his side.

But for all the things Zangetsu knew, there was one thing that was cloudy to him—unfamiliar, even.

A new energy had formed inside Ichigo some time ago—one he did not recognize.

It was perhaps the beginning of something in him that he would later utilize to fight the wars that were sure to come. Whatever it was, it was something Ichigo was presently unaware of.

"Old man," Ichigo called as he continued his ascent, "Do you think I'll be able to convince the King to let me bring Inoue home?"

Zangetsu considered it, but this time he wanted to do so from a neutral standpoint. Previously, he considered things more swayed in Ichigo's favor, as the child was his human counterpart. But as an impartial party, what would this look like?

The girl had significant abilities that bordered divinity, specifically her restorative ones. She was currently a citizen of Seireitei, sent to the capital to keep her—or her abilities—out of enemy hands. And the person who was taken captive by Las Noches' fifth prince and a former Espada arrives no more than a month later to return her safely home.

" _Ichigo, it doesn't seem likely they would simply hand her over to your custody because you say you could protect her better than you did before. She was sent to the Capital in order to keep her away from Las Noches and its king, probably for a reason unknown to any but your captains. I understand she is your friend and you care for her, but maybe you should consider what is best for her. I know this might not be easy to hear, but leaving her in the Capital could keep her safer than you or your friends could if the war of the kingdoms were to be sparked again."_

Zangetsu took no pride in his assessment, but he would never lie to Ichigo or coddle him in order to keep him from seeing the larger truth. The facts were that he and no one else could keep Inoue out of Grimmjow's clutches that day. Aizen's men were insidious, just as he was thought to be. They slipped into the kingdom ever so carefully, wreaked havoc and caused wholesale destruction without second thought, and almost kidnapped someone whose abilities, in the wrong hands, could bring about even greater calamity.

The safest place for her was a place resolved, never to be touched by outsiders for as long as the world should exist. And that place was the High Palace—the High King's dwelling.

" _I know you are resolved, Ichigo. But at least consider what I've told you."_ the spirit continued as he began a journey of his own inside Ichigo's vast cityscape. There was something he needed to check up on, as he hadn't done so in a while.

Ichigo continued upwards, nearing the summit of the mountain. He hadn't expected the old man to give it to him like that when he asked his opinion, but it was good that he heard it. Because he was different now than he was before, stronger and smarter. He didn't know if Inoue was happy where she was, but he could imagine being away from everyone for so long had brought her down.

Of course, he wanted her to be safe. He wanted her to be happy as well. Back home, she could be both. The kingdom had learned from Grimmjow's assault. _He_ had learned from Grimmjow's assault. In hindsight, it was the perfect thing to keep them aware of the truth of their world: Aizen's peace was a fleeting one.

Las Noches was not a lost cause; it simply needed someone to guide it in the proper direction with no ulterior motives. This would need to be a person who would care for the people and seek the kingdom's prosperity.

Still, Zangetsu's words were not lost on Ichigo. He started to consider things without his emotions weighing in. And if this were to be his decision, to leave Inoue in the Capital, then there was only one thing to do: locate and defeat Aizen, opening Las Noches up to a leader who could be trusted in Seireitei fully. Then she could return home, and he would no longer feel the regret of that day where he could not protect her properly.

Being so consumed with his thoughts, Ichigo absentmindedly Flash Stepped up the mountain. After landing on a sizeable amount of snow, he slipped and fell to the ground. He attempted to get up, but a large wave of snow fell on top of him and made it quite impossible. Just as he felt the cold thoroughly chilling his body and tried to dig his way out, he fell into a hole, tumbling down a dark tunnel. Teeth clinched and sword drawn, he tried to stab it into something to catch himself, but this was a fruitless endeavor.

When he felt his heartbeat quickening from the idea that this darkness could lead him anywhere, he felt himself land in a pile of thick snow. Laying still for a while, he groaned and exhaled deeply. After sitting up, he patted the snow beneath him to ensure it would not collapse under his weight again. And this is when he heard a gentle laugh accompanied by a smooth wind. The way the two sounds lowly reverberated off the walls let him know he was in a small space, a crevice maybe.

"Who's there?!" he shouted. Even if they were to answer, there's no way he could have seen them due to the lack of light.

"It's alright, Ichigo. I am not your enemy." The voice called out, a woman's soothing voice at that.

However gentle it may have been, Ichigo did not recognize it in the slightest even though she knew him. "Who are you?" he asked.

Suddenly, tiny lights appeared, gleaming as though reflecting off of amethysts or some other violet gemstone. "I am Sode no Shirayuki, and I've longed to meet you in person for some time." The woman said as she came into the soft light.

~O~

The trip through Ichigo's inner world was one Zangetsu was more familiar with than anything he'd ever known. This was his home, a reflection of his human counterpart. There wasn't one space in this place he was unfamiliar with.

So it was understandable that the sudden change in this environment took him by surprise. In the center of this world, a new layout had taken form. Amid the skyscrapers and other tall buildings, a neighborhood had appeared. Zangetsu was aware that it resembled Ichigo's home, the Kurosaki clinic, and its surrounding buildings from the human world.

Why this had occurred was beyond him, but he suspected it had something to do with that new energy he'd felt.

For several days now, he'd been searching and searching for any sign of Grimmjow Jaegerjaques' booming energy. It was one he would never forget, having fought against it and then having to live with it after Ichigo had become _enamored_ with him. But some time ago, it fell off his radar completely as though it had never existed in the first place.

He imagined Ichigo had somehow unknowingly overcome it, but the way things were changing in the city suggested otherwise. It suggested something else, entirely.

Standing atop one of the towering skyscrapers, Zangetsu closed his eyes and concentrated his senses to this newly-formed replica of Ichigo's home. And what he found was an energy he did not recognize had appeared. The circumstances seemed consistent with the formation of the neighborhood.

"Strange," He said aloud, his voice echoing a little as it usually did.

Just as he was about to break concentration, something made itself known to him. His eyebrows rose the tiniest bit as he observed.

Coming from inside Ichigo's home, the gentle rhythm of a small heartbeat could be heard.


	72. agency of freedom

"Do you think Ichigo misses us?" Chile asked from his perch on Nel's shoulder as they traveled the path through the vast valley.

Nel smiled, "Of course he does! He's not the kind of person to come out and say it, but I'm sure he does. We're basically his family. Right, Kon?" she said, aiming her attention to the plushie tied to her waist. When she received no reply, she asked again. " _Right_ , Kon?"

"Y—yea!" Kon snapped back into the moment.

"What are you distracted by?" It was unusual for him to be spacing out like that.

Kon looked around suspiciously, "I thought I felt something… something familiar coming our way…"

Nel slowed her pace and eventually came to a stop to look around as well. For miles, all she could see was green. Green trees standing tall, lining the base of the mountains on either side of the valley. Far reaches of green grass spanned as far as the eye could see. There were some old windmills that seemed out of order placed here and there, perhaps meticulously, but that was to be expected. Well known was how the village that existed in this valley harnessed the wind's energy for their own supply of power.

Everything seemed normal to her.

She also couldn't sense any Reiatsu, which is likely what Kon was referring to.

"Are you losing it?" she asked as she started walking again.

Kon fumed, not too fond of the accusation, "No! See, this is why I wasn't going to tell you at first…"

"…" Nel honestly had no reply for that. "We should be reaching the village soon. I can see some houses up ahead, and some windmills that seem to be working just fine."

"Greeeeeaaaaat, windmills…" the little lion uttered sarcastically.

"Windmills, windmills of the land…" the gypsy began, remembering an old song verse about them. With the tune in her head, she admitted she was a little excited about the place she was headed to now. She'd never really been too close to a windmill in her life. Perhaps if her travels had led her to this part of the world prior to meeting Ichigo, she would've encountered this village, or Himura—where that massive windmill stood in center town.

"Hey, Chile." Kon called.

"Yes?" the fledgling replied.

"Do you sense anything weird?"

"Not at all. I think you're just paranoid."

"Relax." Nel said as she started walking again, "I can take care of the three of us and then some."

While Chile and Nel seemed to lower their guards again, if they'd even raised them in the first place, Kon remained hyper aware of his surroundings. He carefully scanned the wide plains, watching as the wind glided across the tall grass, leaving brief reflects of sunlight on the blades as it did. Just when he was ready to think he'd just imagined something, a sudden glimpse of vibrant red caught his button eye.

"There! There!" he shouted, hysterically pointing at what he'd seen, desperate for someone else to catch sight of it as well.

Nel halted and whipped around, "What?!"

"Something red is coming towards us in the grass!"

Just as Nel felt two sudden bursts of Reiatsu, she made to draw her Zanpakutō. However, she was too slow and someone in a cloak practically flew by her, snatching Kon from his fastened place at her side.

"SOMEBODY GET THIS CREEP OFF OF ME!" Kon cried out, struggling to free himself from the person's grip.

"Kon, you don't recognize me?" the cloaked person asked, his voice quite young and raspy.

The plushie turned around in horror as the person dropped his hood, revealing a healthy crop of styled red hair. "J—Jinta?!"

Jinta, the irascible, young, and very handsome young man who worked at Urahara's shop, held onto Kon with a grip like no other. His bright hair was combed back, an intentional means to convey distinction from the way he wore it as a child; it was his attempt at looking more mature. He was one of the few entrusted to help Ichigo during his training to become a Court Guard, and since then, had been training to surpass both him and Renji Abarai.

"Hey, just who are you, anyway!?" Nel shouted from a few paces away. A hand on her arm made her jump, and she quickly snatched herself free.

"Please don't interfere." A young girl near whispered. She had very large, almost sad violet eyes coupled with dark hair reaching a length just beyond her delicate shoulders. Her disposition was the polar opposite of her accomplice—she was far more demure and even respectful. Anyone familiar with her abilities in battle would admit it belied her unnatural prowess.

Unsatisfied with the lack of response, yet the appearance of another stranger, Nel put some distance between herself and them. "Who _are_ you people?!" she said again.

"Who are _you_? And why do you have this little shit ball of cotton?" Jinta retorted, holding Kon up in her direction.

"I don't owe you any explanations!" Nel countered, her pale-brown eyes narrowed.

"Kon, what the hell is going on here?" the teen asked.

"I don't have to answer tha-" Kon was cut off as Jinta squeezed him even harder than before. "Stop that! Or do you want me to tell the guys back home why you _really_ want to surpass that Lieutenant Renji guy?!"

A vein appeared on Jinta's forehead just before he pulled a bag from under his cloak and slammed the plushie into it. After hiding the bag under his cloak again, he spoke. "We're taking him with us. But I have a question for you." he told Nel.

"Take him." The gypsy dismissed. If that was all they wanted, she wasn't about to fight them for Kon. After all, they seemed to know him well.

"Where is Ichigo?" Jinta inquired.

Ururu stared at the chick on Nel's shoulder intently. "The bird on her shoulder is his, too." She observed, rather shockingly.

Nel pulled Chile into her arms. "You're NOT taking him from me."

"WOW, I SEE WHERE YOUR PRIORITIES LIE!" Kon was actually hurt by Nel's resolve.

"We didn't come for him, or Kon for that matter." Jinta stated as he relaxed a little, his shift in posture being a clear implication of that. "We were tracking Ichigo."

A teal eyebrow raised. "Why?"

"Not that it's any of your business, but we're bored back in Seireitei." The redhead shrugged. "Our shopkeeper's not gonna be back home for a while, and things are tense in the kingdom. That guy from Las Noches is still basically public enemy number one, and everyone wants to know where he disappeared to. Well, that guy and Ichigo, too. We figured since Ichigo helped him escape, they were at least together."

If only he knew just how _together_ they were…

Since it was clear these two had information to share, Nel decided she would cooperate with them. "Ichigo and I _were_ traveling together. We split up a ways back, though… Anyway, how is it that you found me and not him…?"

"We can track Kon easily since he's a mod spirit. Ichigo is different. He's a human, so he has to be in a certain range for us to sense his Reiatsu. You probably couldn't track him if he was too far away." Jinta told her.

Nel did admit that point. She wouldn't have found Ichigo back in Las Noches had it not been for his Zanpakutō's guidance. "Well, sorry to disappoint. But I'm not him, and I'm not a hundred percent sure I should tell you where he went."

Jinta smirked. "We'll just get it out of Kon."

"By the time you do, Ichigo will be gone from where he traveled to."

"I bet he knows where Ichigo is going, though."

Pale-brown eyes narrowed again. This child was insufferable. Nel already knew she did not care for him at all. "If you think it'll be easy to keep Kon from me, you're dead wrong." She said, aiming her Zanpakutō at the scrappy teen.

Kon's previous slighted attitude changed quite quickly to elatedness. "OH NEL! SAVE MEEE-HEE-HEE!"

"We didn't come here to fight. We just wanted to find Ichigo and talk to him… Maybe even follow him." Ururu interjected as she calmly, physically put herself between the two of them. "Maybe we should just go with her. If she has Kon and Ichigo's spirit animal with her, they'll likely meet up at some point."

It was true that Jinta was seeking Ichigo. But even though he would never admit it, he hoped it would help him find someone else. So fighting someone who appeared to be Ichigo's ally was not exactly prudent at this time. "Fine." He conceded.

"Please forgive us for the suddenness of all of this… and our rudeness." Ururu apologized with a bow. She was aware that Jinta could get out of hand, especially when he was chasing after something he wanted. "But if you don't mind, we would like to accompany you in order to find Ichigo. We're his friends, too." She continued.

"Hmm… Well… It's fine. I guess Ichigo could handle himself if you two turn out to be enemies…" Nel put away her Zanpakutō and started walking again, briefly eyeing Jinta as she passed him. "I'm going to the village up ahead to collect something. Then I'll be meeting Ichigo."

"Is Ichigo the only person you're traveling with?" Jinta asked, following after her. Ururu followed suit.

"Why do you ask?" Nel said, wondering if they had some interest in seeing Grimmjow be captured again. If so, she might reconsider letting them follow her.

And it honestly shocked her that she was even concerned about him in the first place.

"N—no reason." Jinta abruptly said.

Nel looked over her shoulder and noticed his face was reddening a little, and Ururu was smiling. "Riiiight…"

* * *

Gentle footsteps could be heard throughout the tranquil forest, rustling the leaves as well as the grass ever so slightly. The wind rustled its way through the leaves in the trees while the sun shined down through them, just barely grazing the forest floor. Despite the warmth bestowed upon the day by summer's presence, an incipient cool drop in temperature was in the air.

The sprites were unaware of this, as its origin was in a grove that was currently off-limits to them, as per Katen's wishes. Upon the capture and detainment of Ichigo's overzealous friends, explicit orders were given to stay away from their holding area. From the time they were put to sleep up until now, Katen personally oversaw their nurturing. She shared her energy with the five of them, provided sustenance through various means, and kept an eye on Renji—who was intent on waking from his sleep—especially.

Despite her efforts, she could not have predicted the persistence of this group's desire to escape her hold. Specifically, this would refer to the creeping vine of frost slipping unseen through the grass, weaving intricate paths and growing in strength. The source, of course, was Rukia's Zanpakutō; which was acting in her best interest while she was incapacitated. It was just as Ichigo's had done with Nel in the desert.

Katen's motives in halting the advance of the decided "Ichigo Retrieval Squad" was dual-purposed. The first reason was simple: to prevent them from meeting and intercepting Ichigo, imposing the chance of them returning him to Seireitei. She needed him to be successful in his mission for more reasons than one.

The second reason…

Well, the second reason was for the recovery of something precious to her. Something that had been stolen from her in the most cruel and insidious manner…

When Ichigo had finished collecting the crystals, her intent was to release his precious friends back to him or to their home. Whichever came first.

Anora, the sprite who had spoken with Ichigo and tricked him into admitting his feelings for Grimmjow to her, took delicate steps as she made her way to Katen's dwelling. She stopped rather abruptly, however, when she noticed a shift in temperature. By the time she realized where it was coming from, it was too late to act against it. A sudden wave of snow blanketed the forest , near as high as the canopy reached, covering her and preventing her from moving.

Payback at its finest.

As her violet eyes shot open, Rukia sat up from her newly-frozen bed of roots. She held her chest and gasped for air, feeling as though she'd just woken from some unnatural gravity of numbness. Sunlight crept into the secret grove through the branches, letting her see her comrades as they gradually woke from their sleep one by one.

She was still feeling a bit hazy, but she weakly crawled over to Ishida and touched his shoulder. "Uryu," she called quietly, still breathing somewhat irregularly. "We need to get the others up so we can get out of here!"

Ishida broke free from the roots that were covering him and fell over as he tried to stand. "S—Senna." He called as he crawled over to her.

Senna's bright orange eyes fluttered open as she heard her name. She yawned and stretched her arms out, having been the least restrained in the group; she was the least determined to break free (this was an excellent cover story for her lack of agency for however long they'd been out for). "Wow, that was some sleep." She said as she sat up on her elbows.

She didn't know what was going on, but waking from such an amazing sleep had her feeling very irritable. When she saw Ishida pointing at Renji, she rolled her eyes. "Let him sleep forever." She said.

"Please wake him, Senna-san. He's our comrade, too." Ishida asked, unable to do it himself because of his fatigue.

Senna watched as Rukia woke Chad, so she sighed and leaned over. With a sigh, she slapped Renji's face with Reiatsu to aid in the impact.

Renji shouted out and unintentionally broke free from the many, many roots that were holding him down. "WHAT THE HELL!?" the handprint on his face was glowing even brighter than his red hair.

"Everyone, we have to get out of here!" Rukia instructed as she managed to get onto her feet.

It didn't take too long for the rest to follow her example and rise. Ishida managed to draw his Quincy bow, and then fired it at the weakest spot in the wall of branches. As the barrier fell, more sunlight flooded the area, perhaps symbolic of their awakening.

"What are we going to do now?" Chad asked when they stepped out into the snow-blanketed forest.

"How long have we been asleep?" Senna added, "Ichigo could be literally anywhere by now…"

"We have no leads, no trail, and I'm sure they're worried about us back in Seireitei." Ishida mentioned casually, suggesting their smarter option would be to call the mission lost and return home.

"Renji?" Rukia called.

Said man remained silent and still in the snow. This was hard on Renji because he'd been directly tasked with a mission from his Captain, and it seemed as though he'd failed miserably. Renji's devotion to his Captain and his station as a Lieutenant was his pride. How could he turn back now? "I…" he turned from the others, bawling his hands into fists and sighing, "We should return to Seireitei. There's nothing more we can do now that the trail's gone cold."

A comforting hand on his shoulder caught him by surprise. What was even more surprising was the fact that it was Senna who reached out to him. "It's okay. We weren't prepared for some roots to take hold of us... or whatever else it was that put us to sleep. And if it's any consolation, at least we survived in the infamous Phantom Forest to tell about it."

Renji gazed around at the snow-covered forest and inwardly sighed. "At least we're free again. Let's leave this place before we wind up buried again by the spirits here." He said.

If nothing else, at least no one had died under his command. His mission may have failed, but he'd be damned if he let a single one of them breathe their last breath under his watchful eye.

* * *

"Sooooooo…. whoooo is it you're looking for?" Nel asked Jinta as their group arrived in the village.

"No one! I told you!" Jinta said defensively.

"I don't believe you."

Ururu walked past them and looked around at the unusual settlement. Unlike anything she'd seen before, it stood proudly in the valley. Many windmills stood tall in this village among the homes and other small buildings, but interestingly enough, only a few of them seemed to be in working order. The others seemed rather damaged… "This place is in trouble." She observed.

"So there's a few broken windmills." Jinta dismissed, "I don't see what the big deal is."

Nel held her chin in thought. "Well… this place is said to gain its power from the windmills in this valley. If only a few of them are actually working, I can't help but wonder if the people are doing alright. Maybe we should go have a talk with the guardian."

"H—hey, something's coming!" Chile exclaimed.

Just as he finished his exclamation, a vigorous gust of wind came in and knocked everyone off their feet, then carried them high into the air.

While Jinta and Kon screamed their heads off, Nel and Ururu remained a bit more level-headed. As Ururu enjoyed the ride, Nel smiled but also tried to figure out where the wind had come from. Chile caught himself and flapped his wings, emitting his fire into the air. He did not enjoy being sent about like some leaf on the wind.

"I've never seen a phoenix before!" an ominous voice stated.

Chile watched in shock as Nel and the others were slammed into a functioning windmill, causing severe damage to both it and them in the process. "Wh-"

"Can't go easy on these guys, considering they're not normal people." The voice continued with a dash of both excitement and aggression.

After falling from the windmill and colliding with the ground, Nel struggled to get up. Just before she drew her sword, she looked up and saw Jinta and Ururu falling as well. Instinctively, and disregarding the pain she was still feeling from being thrashed about, she jumped up and caught them before they could hit the ground the way she did. She kept her eyes on Chile, who was in conversation with the person who attacked them, as she found a safe place to place the two teens. When that was done, she jumped to a rooftop and drew her sword again. "I'm tired of all these surprises today!" she called out angrily.

"I'm no surprise, I'm Kazeshini—the spirit guardian of this place." The spirit told her as he revealed himself atop a neighboring roof. "Now, let's have some fun, shall we?" he said as a wicked grin took hold of his dark face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I actually must admit it is good to have more Seireitei natives back in the mix. Hope you all are loving the developments thus far!


	73. hearts of kings

Desert sands as bright and golden as the sun's light spanned as far as the eye could see in every direction, only contrasted by the azure sky stretching infinitely above. Gentle winds blew across the numerous dunes, carrying tiny grains from one location to another; the winds, a result of the darkened clouds looming on the horizon. Heavy rain was not far off—a rarity in the desert which only occurred once every several months or so.

Among the high sand dunes and mostly hidden away from the rest of the world, a certain ruin existed. Old stone columns with ancient Skifenian hieroglyphs etched into them lined the meticulously laid walls that had, over the course of many generations, been consumed almost entirely by the desert. Most would not encounter these ruins by chance. Not only was the ruin almost entirely buried by the sands, there was also a certain spirit guarding the region who was tasked with keeping Earthians at bay.

The man who had deliberately sought these ruins out knew them well thanks to his studies, and thanks to the few trips he'd made to them. His bypassing of the spirit was simply due to the use of his exceedingly deceptive Zanpakutō—a child's task if ever there was one.

Sosuke Aizen was a self-made king among the ruins of an abandoned _sect_ of a presumably extinct civilization. From his catastrophic desertion of Seireitei to this olden place he was currently exploring ever so freely, he was quite used to disorder and desolation. In his wake, and even in his sights, it was the only thing he ever knew. But even in his dark mind, a speckle of hope dared to exist in his future plans.

The world would be his someday, and he was not one to let his things fall to ruin if that was not his plan.

To ensure his extended rule, he did imagine one day a harmony might exist among the people. The end would simply have to justify the means in this case. When rising among a world with powers like Seireitei Kingdom and the High Palace—which was a relatively unknown entity to him—of course sacrifices would be necessary.

Perhaps knowing where he was coming from would shed a little light on his aspirations.

From the time he was a child, Aizen was a talented genius. He could strategize and overcome the greatest conundrums life threw his way. This, however, never sat well with his peers or anyone his name found its way to. He'd been repeatedly beaten, humiliated, and mocked to a scarring level. After the sudden death of his parents, he was left alone in his father's estate. A heartbroken child of seven would know not what to do with such a thing or the complexities involved with managing it, even if they were a tactical genius. A heartbroken child of seven would know not how to properly defend himself from predators of higher intelligence and physical power, either. Most notably, though, was the fact that he was not allowed to take control of the estate until he came of age. This was the primary factor in him being outmaneuvered.

And he lost everything thanks to the naïveté that came with being a child in a world full of money-hungry adults. Truly, he'd been a sheep among wolves.

His parents, the one shield a young child has in this world, suddenly vanished into nothingness. The Aizen family assets were then seized by "friends" of the family who were given temporary controlling rights, leaving the young master to the streets to learn the true harshness of human nature. The fact that he survived with his life thanks to some kind people who withdrew him from his situation was perhaps the one thing that kept his faith in humanity from disappearing as quickly as his family assets had after the death of his parents. It was immensely scarring to have lost such precious people, then to be taken advantage of and abandoned shortly thereafter.

He may have lost everything of value his family owned, but Aizen always, always had his mind. He sharpened it whenever allowed through reading scriptures, schooling, and simple observation. He came to know the ways of the underworld at the ripe age of sixteen, yet always managed to avoid becoming active in it by using others and discarding them when necessary or appropriate. He also learned the ways of those who flocked to religion for salvation. He knew many of them were sanctimonious, while others were simply afraid or incapable of leading themselves. Why face your problems when you can leave them in the hands of a higher power?

The Knowledges of the underworld and the overworld were his to keep, never to be stolen away by anything but death itself.

Most people worship heroes—those bravehearts who are seen as forthright and wholesome. It is exceedingly easy to succeed in this world when you are seen as such. And thus, that was the façade Aizen took on, misleading every person in his hometown until he found his way to Seireitei. There, he proudly showed off his intellect as he climbed the ranks and became a Court Guard Captain—trusted and respected by all.

It was perhaps the most interesting thing he'd done in his life; misleading the sheep by smiling and _seeming_ innocent. A certain rush accompanied hugging an unsuspecting individual whilst holding a dagger behind their backs, ready to plunge it in at a moment's notice.

Despite the comfortable life he had in Seireitei and the love that came with his station, he sought more. More stimulation, more power, more interesting prospects than the life of a simple soldier.

Not long into his captaincy, he secretly built an army of his own, gathering his men from all ends of the world. Admittedly, betraying the fools in Seireitei was perhaps the most rewarding event in his life. It was the moment his mask was discarded, and he revealed to them the person he _always_ was behind it. All the ones who never saw it coming, wide-eyed and pained that his blade caught them off guard, fueled his hubris like gasoline to a fire.

And then he was a king.

The road from rags to riches is seldom a clean one. In this world, someone has to be walked on, and someone has to do the walking. It was the way things had always been. Aizen learned this early on.

But his seat on Las Noches' throne, he found, was not enough to sustain him for long. Las Noches was his self-erected kingdom, and it showed from the outward appearance. Most people in the kingdom sought better lives, but were so afraid of the outside threats they could never leave. The streets were hardly ever safe, especially alleyways, and a looming sense of despair hung in the air. The occasional desert storms raged like the torments of his mind from his youth, but inside his palace, he was safe and sound sipping tea.

The safety and power, he came to understand, no matter how substantial, were fleeting. He was aware that someday, his palace walls would crack and crumble. Someday, his reign would end. Someday, another would take his place and his name would eventually be forgotten.

And that is why he was here in these ruins.

Awakening this power would give him power so immense he could control the world itself if he desired. And then when he was bored of this world, he would ascend to the world of those Skifenians in a realm unlike anything any Earthian could ever hope to understand: a realm of gods, and this ruin was his transport.

This is where Grimmjow Jaegerjaques came into play. He was perhaps his most valuable piece in this game of power with the Earthians, thanks to his many assets and stubbornness. A wild card he set upon the world, distracting them for the most part from the calamity that lay ahead.

His need for such a piece was made aware to him about four years ago during a certain sighting back in Seireitei...

Aizen had had his eyes on a little bird for the span of said time. A strong, yet incredibly protected bird. From the time of its youth, it was vulnerable, but valuable as well. This little bird, he came to know as it grew, had a deviant nature—a damned deviation to be precise. And that deviation was where Aizen knew he could use Grimmjow.

Understandably, the choices Aizen had set before this little bird were leading. Waiting for it to grow strong and skilled so that it could explore the world under less protection was the hard part. When the time was right, he made his move. A simple stirring of some of the giant desert spiders led to an attack on his kingdom while he was conveniently away from his own station. The little bird found its way across the desert to Las Noches—where one of two people could have swept it away like a hurricane—with only two retainers to watch over it.

Coyote Stark, the Primera Espada, was the first option. Had the Kurosaki boy gone to the meeting about the attack on Las Noches with the Kuchiki heiress and Lieutenant Abarai, he would likely have found himself on a romantic voyage with the Primera. But this was not the path fate had chosen for him. Medical persuasion—the act of healing and selfless sacrifice—led him to crossing paths with Grimmjow Jaegerjaques, the Sexta Espada.

Aizen had anticipated this more than a meeting with Stark because he knew Grimmjow's tastes were specific to aggressive and stubborn men. Birds of a feather often flock together, after all. This is why he kept the choices in palace concubines so strict, only taking in demure and submissive women to fuel Grimmjow's need for filling his sexual appetite. Sustain a wild beast on kibble and scraps, then expose it to live prey and watch it pounce. He was also aware of the nature of the _forthright_ Kurosaki family to help those around them, which is precisely what Ichigo had done.

While he had set the entire thing up, Aizen did not set up their actual meeting. That occurred several hours sooner than he anticipated, but it was a welcome occurrence nonetheless. The beggar child was simply fate itself at work to bring them together for whatever time they could have until Aizen would rip them apart forever.

In his ambition, they were effectively star-crossed lovers.

In allowing Grimmjow to steal the heart and seduce the mind of the growing bird, this assured his flight path right into his plans. Aizen didn't need to visit his might upon Seireitei again, as he'd done when he departed. He simply needed to wait until Grimmjow returned to his side, and with him, inevitably, Kurosaki Ichigo as well.

Of course, Grimmjow would be considerably rewarded for unknowingly playing his important role. Specifically speaking, this would be his continued survival and even prospering in the new world. Kurosaki, however, would find no such future.

As he entered the main hall of the ruins, which were speckled with light from the many fractures in the high ceiling, Aizen gazed around. He'd memorized every inch of this room, especially the hieroglyphics. Seeing no further need for them, he climbed the high staircase that led to a darkened hall, where he had never been able to enter. A certain lock was preventing his advance, and having someone who could remove this obstacle was also part of his plans. Thanks to the Knowledges he'd obtained about the people of Seireitei, he'd ultimately caught two birds with one stone, or panther if you will…

A smile graced his face as he touched the ancient lock that his skills would never break. He simply had to wait for the pieces to gather and find their way to him one after the other, be it willingly or otherwise.

Using these people and their powerful emotions for each other to achieve power that reached divinity was the final part of his plan, and by far the most interesting. Many would watch the ones they loved cease to exist, and he wanted to play the part of the researcher watching his experiments.

After the experiences he'd had, his heart had blackened long ago and this was the only way he knew to operate. But make no mistake, he knew what light had been once before, and what the world could do to that light. It was better to be this way than to be someone so naïve as to think their lives would play out happily without ever noticing the fast-approaching storm on the horizon that would easily tear their world asunder.

The world was full of sheep and wolves, after all, and he'd long since become the latter of the two.

* * *

" _Love has come to off me. Oh, there's nothing left in this world. And fear is dominating. Oh there's nothing left in this world…" – No Return by Sucre_

* * *

Among the massive rocks lining the outer edges of the mountain range that were covered in lush and healthy flora, hidden away from the rest of the world in private content, was the temple of the Sun and the Moon. It was better known as the Temple of Light. It occupied a once abandoned castle that had been repurposed. Anyone could tell this had been the case at first glance. Its upkeep was pristine to say it was so aged. Not a weed could be seen creeping against its thick, bronze-stoned walls. Either there was a very devoted groundskeeping crew, or something supernatural was happening in this spot.

Grimmjow stood in the center of the neatly-laid stone path that led to it, his devoted panther at his side. His bright blue eyes scanned the castle intently. It was certainly no Las Noches palace, but a castle nonetheless. In his life, he'd never known any other castles beyond the one he resided in and, until recently, the one in Seireitei kingdom. While it was not used for royal purposes, the Court Guards' headquarters was nothing short of a foreign castle. The castle that stood before Grimmjow was quite western in design, though. He could tell because long ago, he'd done some research on his origin and discovered his family name originated from this northern region, and the ancient royal bloodlines of such an era dwelled in castles very similar to the one in his sights.

While he did not discover anything about his own parents, or even grandparents for that matter, he at least knew where his name came from. It was a start at uncovering who he was for sure, though it was given no follow-up whatsoever. Grimmjow decided that he would follow his own path—find a home to call his own and make his own way in this world.

When he caught sight of Pantera's bright blue eyes staring up at him inquiringly, he started on to the temple's entrance again.

A soft breeze blew against him, whipping his cloak about a little, as he walked. The sun beamed down on him from its place in the center of the sky, his hair gleaming beneath it. Its white light reflected off the tip of his Zanpakutō's hilt, and that was when he took notice of it… The sunlight was stronger here than it was in the desert, yet far less harmful to the skin, it seemed. This was perhaps due to the northwestern location, where the winds blew very often and the temperature was much more desirable, like it was early spring.

As he got closer to the castle, he noticed several children running about, frolicking and giggling in the grass under the warm sunlight. It encouraged an eye roll from the Arrancar. He couldn't help but wonder what a bunch of brats were doing playing ever so carelessly in a place of worship.

Behind the castle, a deep green forest spanned through the grooves of the valleys that existed between the mountains. Even it did not touch this holy place, however, despite how bursting with life it seemed.

" _Grimmjow, does this much peace bother you?"_ Pantera asked, fishing for the slightest sign of change in the other.

"Not at all. Because it's scenes like these that I love destroying." Grimmjow smirked, pulling his hair back briefly as he ran his hand across it.

" _Don't let the guardian spirit hear you say that. You'd never get the crystal that way."_

"Screw the guardian."

Pantera inwardly sighed at Grimmjow's attitude. _"We have to succeed. We don't want to let the others down."_

"Hey, has my hair gotten longer, you think?" the bluenett asked, distracted by it and effectively changing the subject. It had been pointed out to him that it had…

Pantera knowingly smiled, _"Do you think it's a good look?"_

"I'm asking what _you_ think."

" _I don't think it matters what_ I _think so much as it does what someone_ else _does."_

Grimmjow smacked his lips and stopped as he reached the castle entrance that contained two large doors with intricately carved squares running from top to bottom. They were wooden and somehow untouched by the age they most likely were. He stood patiently at them for about two minutes before his patience gave out hand found its way to his hip.

He wondered why the children running about hadn't invited him in, seeing as they probably had access to it.

This was _no_ way for a prince to be treated. Even if these peasant fanatics didn't realize who he was, he maintained that royalty was to be received promptly.

"Waiting's hard, I know…" a man's gentle voice came from above.

Grimmjow looked upwards to locate the speaker, but saw no one. His nostrils flared and he was shocked as the person suddenly appeared in front of him. He was a relatively tall man dressed in a pale-brown gown, his hair tied neatly with white wraps. What was not contained by the wraps hung down in straight, blue locks that lined the man's face. From the back of his head, orange feathers extended vertically, accompanied by a large braid of hair that hung down his back. He was not a bad looking man. In fact, he was quite exquisite…

Grimmjow swallowed his saliva and removed himself from observing this man's exposed and somewhat toned chest for any longer than the blink of an eye.

He had to remain loyal to Kurosaki.

"Greetings." The man said as he walked to the front doors and pushed them open. "Follow me. I know exactly why you've come."

A cerulean eyebrow rose. "How would you know that?"

"Only one reason a man of your stature and self-importance would venture this far out into our lands and find yourself at my door. Please, follow me. I have an interesting proposition for you." the man continued, and then entered the dimly lit castle.

Grimmjow followed after with a distasteful look on his face. Who did this pompous ass think he was?

"In here." The man said, motioning to a small room with a few pews in it.

Walking through the castle, Grimmjow noticed how it was only lit by the sunlight shining through the mosaic glass on the ceiling and walls. He then saw two white-haired children cleaning the immense main hall dutifully. It seemed like quite the task, but neither of them seemed to be unhappy with the task. As he entered the room he was asked to, his blue eyes widened when he saw the man casually drop his robe and summon a small white, sparkling crystal from seemingly out of nowhere.

"I take it this is what you'd like?" the man asked as he turned and faced Grimmjow. Most of his lower torso, arms and his legs were covered by dark blue feathers. Despite the coverage, his body was well built. But his attitude did not convey the idea that he worked hard for it.

"What are you doing?" Grimmjow said suspiciously.

"I am Ruri'iro Kujaku, the guardian of this temple region. My power, while not that of a captain or lieutenant's, was perfectly fit to match this place. I draw energy here and am at an advantage should I ever find myself in combat." The spirit said proudly, "Let me be honest with you. This place has been unvisited for some time. The children you see running around are the friends of the other two guardians of this place; you saw them after we entered the castle, cleaning. I am surrounded by children, day in and day out. And since most Earthians either don't know of our existence or won't visit to worship the blessing of light, I'm rather bored. So, I have a proposition for you."

Grimmjow turned his nose up the tiniest bit. "Oh?"

"Yes." Ruri'iro Kujaku smiled, "A test… Or…" he paused and then reflected, "Well, your choice of tests."

Pantera, who sat quietly at the door, observed the spirit copy fixedly. He could see things were about to become complicated. All he could think was what had Grimmjow gotten himself into?

When the spirit copy didn't continue, and yet chose to look him over near hungrily, Grimmjow bawled his hand into an impatient fist. "Go. On." He ordered.

"Heh, I like your spirit. Alright, you are free to choose from either the first trial I set before you, or the second. The first is simple: you entertain me by joining our bodies in a tender romp under the sunlight. I haven't been able to act on impulse for some time now… It's hard being me, you know. I'm basically a nun for heaven's sake! I haven't seen a fully grown man or woman in many years, and who am I to ignore someone as hotly blazing as yourself?" When Grimmjow did not give any indication of being swayed either way, he continued. "The second is an actual light reading of your own _royal_ heart. I'll simply touch your chest to read the person you are, and if there is a speck of light in that heart of yours, I'll hand over the crystal to you without question. But judging from the things I've heard about a blue-haired desert prince wreaking havoc in the southerlands, I wouldn't recommend this option."

This was a lose-lose situation, Pantera knew. If Grimmjow took the first option, he'd live knowing he betrayed Ichigo's trust for all time. If this had been when they'd first met, sure, Grimmjow may have been able to live with it. But the panther knew that time had bound him closer to Ichigo, and their new relationship would suffer from infidelity, especially after what happened in Crestown.

However, the second option offered no means of success whatsoever. Frankly, Grimmjow was black-hearted to the core. He didn't _genuinely_ enjoy helping people, only did things to help others when he benefited somehow, he looked down on people everywhere he went, he was entitled, stubborn, sadistic, and sought destruction out whenever possible. In fact, even during the time Pantera had seen him spend traveling with Ichigo, Grimmjow was never really kind to anyone. This didn't even count those he likely wronged when he and his master had been separated.

He sat watching Grimmjow's back intently, nervously even, as he could tell the man was weighing his options.

Of course, a third option was present. The option to strike this man down and take the crystal by force… Though, perhaps not. He'd summoned the crystal, so it was just as likely he could remove it from their realm if he sensed a threat. He was also at an advantage here, as he'd said. And most importantly, they needed to _earn_ the crystal, not steal it.

Grimmjow was still standing like a statue in the center of the room. Time seemed to freeze, and even the lint in the air slowed as it came into view passing through the light.

 _What will you do, Grimmjow?_ the panther thought. If he could sweat, he certainly would be right now.

When Grimmjow unbuttoned his cloak and removed his shirt, he felt his heart begin racing. However, when he saw him step out of his trousers so his body was bare and then walk towards the spirit, his hopeful heart sank.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm actually kind of sad to see Bleach coming to an end this month. It's been there for so long and it certainly holds a place in my heart, as I hope it does all of yours. Still, I will continue to write Oasis for myself and the other GrimmIchi fans out there. I know there is a devoted group of you, and some lurkers too lol. Don't be afraid to make yourselves known!
> 
> As Bleach winds down, this story is steadily building towards the climax (as this chapter might convey). I really can't believe it has been going on for this long! And I hope you'll continue to read and enjoy it, and always feel free to express your feelings in reviews/comments!
> 
> Until next chapter, lovelies. Take care.
> 
> \- up


	74. devil's offer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Late update. I'm sorry you guys. I've been having a crazy schedule lately and whenever I try to write, things get in the way and it is very frustrating because things are really picking up. *sighs* I hope you all enjoy this latest chapter, though! I feeeeeel like you've been itching for it!
> 
> R&R

Silver-brown eyes fluttered open as Inoue awakened from her peaceful sleep. The sunlight nuzzled her pale skin warmly, passing through the few clouds that surrounded the Capital City just to do so. Since this place was very lacking in crime, she'd slept with her windows and even her balcony doors open. A gentle breeze blew in, causing her curtains to rise and dance a little in its wake.

Sitting up, she yawned as she stretched her arms into the air.

Her gaze moved around her morning lit room, but halted when it reached the desk in the corner. She pulled her sheets back and climbed out of bed to head over to it. When she reached it, she looked over the note she'd been composing for Tatsuki. The details of everything that had happened since she last saw her up until now were carefully written out in it; ten pages of neat handwriting that informed Tatsuki of any and everything she may have wanted to know.

It was mostly finished, but she couldn't bring herself to sign and seal it. Sending it off would make this official, after all. It would mean she'd have to face the reality that she was here for an extended stay. If that were the case, she would also have to accept that seeing anyone from Seireitei again anytime soon was very unlikely.

This was her lie. It was the one she had to tell herself to keep the despair she was feeling at bay.

Thus, today, this letter would remain on her desk again. And it would go on like this until she was ready to admit her own reality.

Just as she headed to the bathroom to get ready for the day ahead, she heard many rushed footsteps coming from the hallway, passing by her door. She could hear muffled orders, though she couldn't make them out. Though, the words "guard her" were very loud and clear.

Standing with a hand rested against the bathroom threshold, she swallowed a nervous mouthful of saliva. Did they mean _her_?

Just before she made for the front door, a knocking sounded against it.

"Y—yes?" she responded tensely.

"May I enter?" a woman's gentle voice came.

"Sure..." she obliged, although she had the creeping suspicion she didn't have much choice in the matter.

The front door unlocked and in walked a very beautiful woman with violet hair and a kind smile on her face. There were two painted spirals on her cheeks, and she'd donned black lipstick on her lips. Inoue recognized her from somewhere, but she couldn't recall from where exactly.

"Please excuse the noise in the hallway. We're very sorry for interrupting your morning." The lady began. When Inoue shook her head to indicate it was fine, she continued, "I'm Kirio Hikifune of the Zero Division, which guards the Soul King and the Royal Family, as well as the palace. We met when you arrived, though I know that was a few weeks ago. I hope your stay has been a pleasant one."

Inoue smiled and gave a hurried bowed. "It's been fine! I miss my friends back home, of course, but everyone here has been very nice to me."

"I'm glad to hear that." Kirio returned her smile. After a few seconds of silence, she continued. "Well, I'm sure you're wondering why I'm here so early. I've been tasked with keeping you safe as we carry out an investigation here in the Capital."

"An investigation?" the redhead asked, confused. Surely nothing nefarious could be occurring here, right?

"Yes. We've taken some people who have come here into custody, and a few of them mentioned you by name."

Inoue's eyes widened and she could feel her heartbeat pounding intensely in her chest. "Could you tell me who they are?" she asked desperately.

"We actually don't know who most of them are... And they didn't arrive as a group, even though they seemed to be planning to meet here together... First a man arrived in the area with a large panther. It was the person responsible for the attack on Seireitei, which was the reason you were sent here to remain under our protection..." Kirio could see a look of terror grip the girl because of this piece of information, so she quickly tried to console her. "There's no need to worry! We're keeping him under surveillance in our intelligence sect!"

"And the others?" Inoue said urgently. It wasn't unlikely that he'd traveled here with his comrades from Las Noches.

"The next ones were two teenagers and a young woman who claimed she was 'just a gypsy'. They were carrying a Mod Soul that was developed by Urahara, Kisuke. And then there was a young man; a Court Guard. He had bright orange hair and a serious face to go along with it. I believe _he_ was the one in the report we received about the attack on Seireitei; the one who fought the intruder and wound up being taken to Las Noches after the battle was over. We've taken him for questioning as well." Kirio bit her lip, "Actually, we've taken all of them for questioning…" she corrected herself.

Mouth hanging open, Inoue stood near shivering at this overwhelming information. "It's… him…! Kurosaki-kun came… for me…!" She pressed her lips together tightly and felt herself tearing up. It had been so long since she'd seen him, and the last time she did, he'd been horribly defeated and taken away from Seireitei. Words could never express how delighted she was that he'd come all the way here for her.

However, whatever happiness, relief, and elatedness she was allowed was immediately replaced with confusion and uneasiness when she realized what Kirio had just told her: Ichigo had come here _with_ the person who was responsible for the destruction in Seireitei. But why? That didn't make any sense!

"P—please, take me to see Kurosaki-kun!" she suddenly implored.

"Orihime-san, I understand he is your friend and you probably haven't seen him in some time… But I'm supposed to watch over you. If something were to happen to you, not only would I be in trouble, but I'd _never_ forgive myself."

"B—but I'm just an ordinary citizen of Seireitei! I don't need to be guarded! Especially not here!" the girl tried.

"You're not…" Kirio began, then sighed. "This situation is one that presents great risk to our city and yours. We need time to sort things out. Just have some patience with us."

"I… I understand…"

The older woman's eyebrows rose in surprise. "You'll behave?" she asked.

"Yes." Inoue nodded. "May I please have some privacy…? I need to get ready for the day." She said, looking down to her feet and refusing to meet Kirio's gaze.

"Of course, milad—I meeeaaan… of course! Take all the time you need." Kirio gave a quick nod and then stepped out of the room, closing the door and locking it back. _I have to be vigilant in this matter_ , she thought. This task had been given to her, so no matter what were to happen, she would protect the blood of the royal family.

* * *

"Where are my friends?" Ichigo immediately asked the man who came into the room with him and stood at the opposite side of the table from where he was seated. The man was very large, possibly from pure muscle that was hiding beneath his white haori. His skin was tan; it was many shades darker than Grimmjow's and Nel's—both of whom originated from the desertlands. His head was shaved so clean the light overhead reflected off of it almost blindingly. The beard he sported was thick, black, and very wild. His eyebrows were no different, either. Though he was a heavy-set man and had the eyes of a demon, he didn't seem particularly evil. Ichigo supposed he couldn't be so bad if he was working here in the Capital.

"I'll be asking the questions, if you don't mind!" the man said as he took a seat and exhaled deeply after doing so. He pulled a file out from his haori and placed it down on the table. "I've got a lot of them for you. My name is Ichibe Hyosube. I'm captain of the Zero Division here in the Capital."

"I didn't come here to answer questions. I came for Inoue." The orange-head asserted.

"I'm aware of that, Kurosaki. But let me ask you this: why do you want to take her from here?"

Ichigo squinted and gave a look. It should have been obvious. "She's my friend. I'm the reason she wound up here in the first place, so it's only natural I make it right. That's why!"

" _You_ are the reason she's here…? And what do you mean by that?" Ichibe asked, taking out a pen and flipping to a blank piece of paper at the end of the file folder.

"Don't do that…" Ichigo said, annoyed. "You know what happened in Seireitei. I know you do."

"You're right. I do know what happened. But a direct statement from you could be beneficial in this case."

" _Case?_ What case?" the orange-head asked, his heart threatening to jump from his chest. Had he led Grimmjow into the lion's den but was too blind to see it? _Again?_

"Well, that's classified information. But now that we conveniently have you _and_ the man responsible for destroying the better part of an entire Seireitei district here, we can't let you just walk away like you never showed up. Answer my questions and we might just be willing to let you visit your friend you braved this world to see."

Ichigo remained quiet, trying to think of anything he could say or do to get himself and Grimmjow out of this situation. Not to mention retrieving Nel, Inoue, Chile, Pantera, Kon, and Jinta and Ururu—who he just recently found out had followed him—from the Crown's custody.

After some time of writing some things down, Ichibe spoke. "Where are the crystals?" He asked without looking up from the paper.

Ichigo sat quietly for a while, thinking this over. This man said he might allow him to see Inoue if he cooperated… Perhaps he would get to see the others, too. For now, he had no choice but to go along with this and at least seem like he wasn't hostile. "I don't know. Apart from the one I collected on my own, I gave them to Nel before we split up. I haven't seen her since then, so I can't say what she did with them." he told him. And it wasn't exactly a lie. He knew she'd stored them inside Kon, but who was to say if they were still even there anymore?

Ichibe jotted that down, then continued, "We'll be questioning her too-"

"Why do you want to know where they are, anyway?"

"It's kind of important. Though, since they've all attached themselves to you, they'll only return to their original locations when you've finished with them. We may have to keep you around permanently." Ichibe near joked, looking at the other from under his eyebrows for a second.

"…" Ichigo didn't respond. He didn't think this was the time or the place to be cracking wise.

"Alright, who told you about the crystals?"

"Katen, in the Phantom Forest."

"And how did you find her?"

Ichigo leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table. "It was completely fortuitous. I was on my way here, but the forest was in my way. I traveled through it because going around was too much of an inconvenience. That's when I met her."

"You and Grimmjow Jaegerjaques, you mean?" Ichibe corrected with a cocked eyebrow and a piercing stare.

"Yes, Grimmjow and I." Ichigo's eyebrows furrowed a little in aggravation.

"What is your relationship with this particular Las Noches Prince?"

"We're…" he paused for a second, "I... promised him I would help get his arm healed. I was bringing him to Inoue in order to do that."

"I thought you were here to take her back with you to Seireitei."

"I was. I was just killing two birds with one stone." Ichigo admitted.

Still not satisfied, Ichibe prodded further. "What is your relationship with him?"

"I told you-"

"You told me what you _think_ I wanted to hear."

A brief silence fell upon the small room. Ichibe sat there, waiting expectantly for reply.

"It's the truth!" Ichigo declared.

"Why did he take you to Las Noches instead of Inoue Orihime?" Ichibe continued, ignoring Ichigo's outburst of anger. "Reports say he had one of his subordinates kidnap her when he arrived in the kingdom, but then he traded her for you. Why is that?"

Ichigo looked down at the table and took in a breath. There was no reason to withhold the truth. This is what he'd come here to reveal, anyway. Perhaps _revealing_ the truth would prove Grimmjow had no serious interest in seeing Seireitei reduced to the ground. "He… wanted _me_." He finally confessed. Saying it aloud to some stranger like Ichibe certainly had him feeling warm all over. He hadn't even told the Head Captain—a person he knew and trusted—this information.

The larger man made to write that, but stopped. "For what?"

"For sex!" the word echoed in the room for a second before leaving a dead silence behind.

Thick black eyebrows rose in shock. Ichibe coughed and cleared his throat before saying anything. "You're telling me this man nearly caused a _war_ just to take you into his _bed_?" That wasn't the most believable motive, his tone implied as much. The Captain didn't believe it until he noticed Ichigo's behavior take the slightest change. His aggressive and defensive front soon turned into something more withdrawn and notably embarrassed.

"It's true. He didn't go to Seireitei that day to start a war, and he didn't go for Inoue. She was just his provocation to get me to fight him. Next question."

"Alright." Ichibe ran his thick fingers through his dark beard for a few seconds. "Did you meet Sosuke Aizen during your time in Las Noches?"

"No. I was kept locked in Grimmjow's room the whole time."

"Did this Grimmjow fellow let you leave?"

"No…" Ichigo stopped and considered it, "Well… I broke out of the seal around the palace to save him. But he had left me unguarded by nothing more than Aizen's forcefield."

Ichibe stroked his beard again. "You escaped from the enemy stronghold to _save_ the enemy? Is that what you're telling me?"

"He wasn't my enemy anymore… He was hurt and in danger of losing his life… And I didn't want him to die." Ichigo recalled it so vividly like it were yesterday. Honestly, most everything he'd done with Grimmjow was still very fresh in his mind.

Though, how could it not be? The experiences Grimmjow gave him were unquestionably some of the most significant and eye-opening ones he'd had in his young life. He would carry them with him until the day he died.

Ichibe glanced over something on the file, "And this is when you went to Seireitei…" he said as he read, "Why?"

"I told you I was going to have Grimmjow healed by Inoue. His arm had been severed off, and I promised I'd get it back for him."

"Did you free him during the execution? Or was it someone else's doing?"

"I saw several people moving around in the smoke. It could have been any of them. When I saw Grimmjow escaping, I followed him." Ichigo chose his words very, very carefully. He hadn't actually told a lie, but he didn't tell the whole story, either. If he incriminated himself, his testimony in Grimmjow's defense would lose whatever credibility it hadn't lost already.

"Why did you follow him?"

"I wanted to keep my promise."

Ichibe stared at Ichigo calculatingly for some time before he spoke again. "Was that your only motive? Or perhaps you were interested in giving him intel on Seireitei? You have to admit, 'keeping a promise' isn't the most credible-"

"I just wanted to stay with him! He'd become a very important person to me, and I was happy he hadn't died in Seireitei. And I won't let you or anyone in this capital take him away from me!" Ichigo interrupted.

"I see…" the large man wrote something down before continuing. "And after you met-"

"Let me stop you, Hyosube-san." Ichigo began impatiently, "I've answered enough questions for now. I want to know where Grimmjow is and what you plan to do with him. I won't answer anymore of your questions until you tell me."

The blankly piercing stare Ichibe gave in response was not one Ichigo cared for, but he wouldn't let those demon eyes make him falter. Even if he'd arrived in a place where he was seemingly powerless, he had to be brave and strong in the face of the enemy—

His brown eyes went wide as he let the thought cross his mind.

This man was _not_ an enemy… He was just an obstacle. An obstacle preventing Ichigo from reuniting with the people he loved.

Though, if he sought Grimmjow's demise, then that would _indeed_ make him an enemy.

"He's being questioned, just like you." Ichibe's response was surprisingly calm for the look he'd just given for being cut off. "Though, I did let Oetsu and Tenjiro handle his questioning. There's no telling how that's going... Tenjiro has a tendency for violence." He said, and then noticed the younger man become anxious. "I'm sure he's fine, though." He assured with a smile.

* * *

"I think you may be going overboard…" Oestu commented as he leaned heavily against the wall and watched Tenjiro stand over Grimmjow—who was knocked over in his chair on the floor. He couldn't exactly see the extent of the damage done to the Las Noches royal because he'd fallen out of sight behind his eccentric counterpart.

Tenjiro sighed heavily and looked over his shoulder at his comrade. "He ain't talkin'! Besides throwing slights at my hair and giving me dirty looks, he hasn't said anything useful to our investigation. So I resort to more forceful measures." He explained.

"If you break his jaw, how will he answer anything?"

The pompadour-sporting captain froze as he pondered that. "We'll… uh… get him to write it out. Assuming he can write at _all_ …" He turned and looked at Grimmjow, who spat out a considerable amount of blood before looking back up at him with a lethal look in his bright blue eyes. He knew there was nothing he could do with his hand restrained behind his back. Plus, they'd put a Reiatsu seal on him. They needed him to be this vulnerable if they hoped to glean any knowledge from him, and he knew it.

"What's with that look?" Tenjiro asked. "Not that I care too much about it, but do you know how many people back in Seireitei would give you that very look if they were in my position? You invaded their home, destroyed things they worked hard for, and have the nerve to move on with your life like it didn't even happen? Nah, you're going to sit there and listen as I read down the list of families you displaced and people you and your crew of zealots hurt!"

"Thought you said you didn't care." Oetsu remarked.

"I don't, but _he_ should." Tenjiro replied, then picked up a folder from the table. "Two hundred and seventy-three families lost their homes due to your men's attacks, not including the damage _you_ caused! On your own, you destroyed fifty houses! Five hundred and twelve people were injured in your attack on Seireitei! Twenty-two people were found dead in the rubble you and your men left behind! About thirty-five animals also got caught up in the wake of your warpath as well."

Grimmjow smirked. "I'd do it all again if I could."

Truly he would. He knew what he went there for. No amount of peasants in the world could keep him from Kurosaki.

Tenjiro stopped looking over the document abruptly and his right eye twitched. " _Really_?" he asked. "You'd ruin those lives and let innocent bystanders die so you could… what? Have a little fun kidnapping girls and fighting foot soldiers?"

When Grimmjow didn't reply, Tenjiro lifted him up by the collar on his shirt and planted a heated punch square against his mouth. He did it again after Grimmjow closed his eyes and let a cocky laugh escape.

"I want to know what it was all for." Oestu commented as Tenjiro relentlessly assaulted Grimmjow's already bruised face. "He let the girl we have in our custody go, and then took the Kurosaki boy with him back to Las Noches. But the reports say the motive for any of this was unknown."

"Why'd you do it?!" Tenjiro asked as he took Grimmjow and slammed his head against the table. "That's all we wanna know!" His hands were covered in a considerable amount of blood at this point.

Oetsu pushed himself off the wall and walked over to the two. He stared down at Grimmjow for a moment in calculation before speaking. "We don't intend to kill you. In fact, having you here might just be beneficial if we hope to ascertain what your king is planning to do with Earthia. Talk and we'll let you go home."

Grimmjow remained silent. His stare trailed off to the corner of the mostly-darkened room.

Tenjiro applied more pressure on his head. "Did you hear what he said?!"

"Not the right honey..." Oestsu noted. "Talk and we'll let you see the Kurosaki kid." Grimmjow's blue eyes found their way to Oestu, who smiled. "There we go. You can let him go, Kirinji."

"Why's that?" Tenjiro asked as he watched his fellow captain head to the door with an accomplished look on his face.

"He wasn't after the royal family. He did what he did for lust." Oetsu informed as he opened the door and made his way into the hallway.

Tenjiro stood with a confused look on his face for a split second, then released Grimmjow and followed after the other. "What the hell does that mean?! What do you know?! What about the crystal he had?!"

"I'll tell you later. We need to talk to Captain Ichibe for a bit."

Grimmjow heard their voices as they faded down the hall. Now that they'd gone, the room was silent and he could relax a little. He took in a breath and let it escape, wishing they hadn't placed a Reiatsu seal on him…

While he managed not to fold under pressure, he still couldn't help but feel annoyed that he was in Court Guard custody again. This was what he got for follow Kurosaki. Though, he realized the blame was shared between them since he was in pursuit of the power he once held when he was whole.

The worst part was he was only in the mountains waiting to meet Kurosaki when they found him, captured him, and brought him into the Capital. He just couldn't catch a break when Court Guards were anywhere in his vicinity.

 _Damn I hate fucking Court Guards…_ he thought after closing his swollen eyes.

* * *

"You have to let me see Grimmjow." Ichigo told Ichibe, who had been silently reading over something for the past ten minutes.

"I don't have to, but I might." The captain replied nonchalantly. "I'm not the bad guy here. I just want to collect all the pieces of information I can so we can prepare ourselves for the worst. Or maybe even figure out what 'the worst' is."

Ichigo was confused by that notion. "What worst?"

"You've collected all the crystals you could as you made your way here. The crystals each command an awesome power that could rival the Skifenian weapon. Did you know this while you were collecting them?"

"Something like that."

"You and your friends came here with a combined total of ten crystals. But you only needed one in order to enter the capital." Ichibe said emphatically.

Ichigo stared on at him, not uttering a single word. Ichibe continued talking, yet he could not hear the words he said. He honestly couldn't hear much at all at this point. The knowledge that had just been dropped on him hit hard.

"Did you hear me?" Ichibe asked, snapping him back into reality.

"What?" the younger man said.

"Why were you collecting all the crystals if you only needed one to enter the Capital?"

"I…" Ichigo stared down at the table, "Katen told me we needed to collect them all."

"All?" Ichibe started counting on his fingers for a second, then gave up in frustration. "Well, I don't remember how many there are, but you only needed one. Were you trying to assemble the weapon with these? Or were you blindly following a spirit's orders?"

"She told me that was the way to enter this city without the formal consent of the Captains back in Seireitei!"

Ichibe closed his eyes and sighed heavily. When he opened them and looked Ichigo in the eyes, he shook his head. "You're clearly oblivious… Do you realize you could have been ambushed by the enemy and they'd have the crystals as well as the other weapon?"

"I-"

"Did you ever think the prince you're escorting around could be using you to aid his kingdom in defeating your own, or even us?"

"Grimmjow wouldn't do that! He _wouldn't_!"

Before Ichibe could respond, a knocking at the door interrupted him. "Yes?"

"It's me." Oetsu's calm voice came. "I need to talk to you about Jaegerjaques."

Ichigo looked at the door quickly and anxiously, then back to Ichibe.

"We're just about done here, Kurosaki." The Captain said as he stood up. After heading to the door, he looked back at those unwavering eyes staring daggers at him. This child was so deeply infatuated that there was no telling what he'd do to get back to Jaegerjaques. Without another word, he exited the room and left the kid alone in it.

Ichigo watched the door intently, a nervous bead of sweat dripping down his brow as he waited for what seemed like an eternity for the Captain to come back into the room. He could hear a muffled conversation, but couldn't make out a single word they were saying.

 _Grimmjow…_ he thought, looking down at the table with a pained expression. How many times would he try to incorporate him into his life before he realized Grimmjow just didn't belong…? Every time he did, something terrible happened and Grimmjow suffered the consequences.

"Shit!" he cursed, then gritted his teeth and bawled his hands up into fists.

The sound of the door opening made him look up again, only to see Ichibe coming back to stand at the opposite end of the table.

"Well Kurosaki, I think I've gotten all the information I need from you. We'll allow you to leave the Capital in a day or so after we've processed this information and verified it with Seireitei. Until then…" the Captain leaned on his chair and spoke a little more quietly, "I'm forcing your hand. You only get to pick one, so think carefully."

"One _what_?" Ichigo asked, his anger a little less intense now that he'd been told he would be released from here. It helped a little, though it didn't let him know what they intended to do with the others.

"I'm giving you my own personal clearance on this. So, which person would you like to visit? Inoue Orihime or Grimmjow Jaegerjaques?"

This man was no demon, he was the devil himself!


	75. the meetings

_I want to speak to the king now._

Ichibe hadn't expected those assertive words to come out of Kurosaki's mouth, given the situation he was in. He'd been so taken aback that he hadn't said another word to him before he left the kid alone in the interrogation room.

Kurosaki's allegiance was still an unclear thing to Ichibe. On one hand, he'd presented him with his home, Seireitei. On the other, he'd presented him with his former prison, Las Noches. The representatives of both kingdoms were here and within Kurosaki's grasp. All he had to do was speak one of the names and his trustworthiness would have been decided.

If he'd called out Inoue Orihime's name, Ichibe would know that his loyalties were still firmly rooted with Seireitei. Kurosaki's actions up until his arrival were questionable and vague. Choosing to meet with his friend would have lowered the suspicions Ichibe had for him. He'd journeyed all this way to see to her, and he _hadn't_ seen her in weeks. Choosing to speak to her over someone he'd admitted to traveling with after all this time would have made a statement.

If he'd called out Grimmjow Jaegerjaques' name, this would tell a different story. Kurosaki spent a great deal of time with this Las Noches royal, both voluntarily and involuntarily. He also brazenly told a member of the Zero Division that he would defend the very man who threatened the security of Seireitei—his home. Choosing Grimmjow would prove that Kurosaki's loyalty was nothing short of wayward at this point. Who could know just how far gone he was after spending so much time with him?

Ichibe had to prepare himself for the idea that he had a double agent on his hands now.

This is why his decision to speak to the king was so irritating. He hadn't taken the bait that was so perfectly laid out for him.

At the moment, Ichibe sat waiting for his division to arrive at their meeting, while the Kurosaki boy had his audience with the King. There were fifty guards lining the king's throne room, and Kurosaki had been disarmed when he was taken in, so Ichibe was comfortable holding this meeting instead of guarding the crown.

The Captain sighed and stared out the large window to his right that allowed the sunlight to flood the room.

If nothing else, at least things were getting interesting again.

* * *

Brown eyes took in every ounce of information about the King's throne room as possible. As he entered and was guided along a carpet with incredibly intricate, yet solid-colored designs, Ichigo took special note of the guards lining the walls with their hands on the hilts of their sheathed blades. He was entering this ordeal with Grimmjow's truth as his only defense.

Ichigo stared up at the throne that was situated atop a massive flight of stairs and veiled by dark curtains so the light of day could not enter. He wondered if there was anyone behind the veil at all.

When his guide stopped and told him to begin, he nodded and stared at the concealed throne.

"Good afternoon," he began; the weight of the fact that this was the King of the realm he was addressing was sinking in. His voice carried in the immense and almost empty chamber. He received no response and looked around for a moment out of confusion.

"Keep going." The guide told him. "The King will not respond, but he can hear your words."

That was strange…

"O—okay." Ichigo started to feel his heart pounding. "I don't know exactly how to begin, but I guess I should start by saying it's an honor to be here today. I've been traveling here for a long time now to make it. Thank you for receiving me…" he smiled, but his smile slowly vanished. "I'm here in regards to Grimmjow Jaegerjaques, a Prince from Las Noches."

Ichigo could feel the atmosphere in the room become quite tense as the guards wordlessly reacted to the words he'd just spoken.

"I've come to beg pardon for his crimes." He continued bravely. "Grimmjow didn't cause any of the destruction he did in Seireitei out of malice, nor did he do it to stir up tensions between the kingdoms. He only wanted me to join him after I'd escaped from his custody. He's been publically shamed and tormented by my kingdom ever since, and he was almost executed for what he did. I know if he'd been allowed an audience, he would apologize for it all." Ichigo lied a little, though he didn't really know if it was a lie. "Grimmjow is a good man now; a decent man. I've come to care about him greatly during our travels. He's even the reason I wound up earning some of the crystals we got in order to meet you. I've been told the crystals are like a secret key into this kingdom and are only awarded to those worthy of their goodwill toward the realm. If this is true, how was I able to collect the crystals with Grimmjow at my side if they themselves saw him as a threat?"

It was strange, seemingly speaking to no one like this. Ichigo didn't know if he was making a valid point or if this was all for naught, but at least any decisions involving Grimmjow would be made with more knowledge than the simple fact that he attacked Seireitei and its citizens.

"Everything up to now has seemed to point to the fact that Grimmjow must remain alive. He was punished for his actions by having his arm severed off but he lived, attacked in his own home by a fellow Espada but he lived, sentenced to public execution that he escaped from—and he admitted to me he didn't orchestrate it, and he and I successfully collected all the crystals to enter this kingdom. I…" Ichigo inhaled and exhaled, "I believe he is more useful to you all alive than dead. He could be the bridge to fostering more positive relations between _all three kingdoms_ , if you are willing to pardon him. I entreat you to consider that I was the target of his attack on Seireitei, not the kingdom itself. As the person he's targeted, on more than one occasion to be exact, I can vouch for his lack of hostility towards Seireitei, or even towards me for that matter. In fact, I believe that thanks to me, he is the only royal from Las Noches who has adequate diplomatic exposure to Seireitei and could be the one who harbors far less hostility towards it."

"Why should anyone believe that?" a guard suddenly asked. "Seireitei tried to publically execute him! I don't think anyone would just brush that kind of thing off!"

Ichigo was shocked that someone had challenged him, but instead of losing his cool, he saw this as an opportunity to educate. "Grimmjow knows what he did was wrong. Narrowly escaping execution wasn't some trigger that ignited a desire in him to see Seireitei burn. It was something that reminded him he is only human and must obey the laws established by man if he wants to continue living in this world. I believe he could be an asset to the kingdoms someday, especially if he were to become the next King of Las Noches. We know what he is capable of, compared to the other Princes and the Princess there that we don't know. We know his motives were to retrieve me, not to intensify the strained relations. I witnessed it firsthand when the crystals supported him on our journey here—which seem to be a safeguarded back door entry into this kingdom in the first place. With all this knowledge, us letting Grimmjow become our liaison, rather than assigning this to someone whose motives and strengths we don't know, would be the prudent thing to do."

Ichigo heard whispers begin after he was finished speaking. He couldn't tell if it was a good thing or not, but at last there weren't all out objections to his points.

"You're only making this plea because you're in love with him!" another guard shouted. "We've been briefed on the report from Ichibe-taichou where he concludes you are harboring affection for the criminal!"

"I am." Ichigo confirmed with a smile, "But that doesn't refute my argument, nor does it diminish the value Grimmjow has to us or our future standing in this world. If you all truly wanted peace, it's time to show the world that now."

"What if he doesn't become king of Las Noches?" someone else asked.

Ichigo mulled the idea over. "Even if he doesn't, we'd still have a voice on the inside. If we were to build a positive relationship with Las Noches, rather than allowing suspicions to continue to grow, they could be our genuine allies someday. Having Grimmjow alive and well after everything that's happened would be a token of good faith and benevolence on our part, and the people would know that." the orange-head offered, and then turned his attention back to the veiled throne. "This is my request of you, Your Majesty. Please allow Grimmjow to live, and show him and the other kingdoms that we genuinely do want peace. Thank you for your time." He said, and then gave a respectful bow.

There were a lot of whispers as he left the room, but the gossip of the peons didn't matter. It was only the King's decision that did.

* * *

"If the convict is allowed to walk free, what does that say about us?" Tenjiro asked his fellow captains. There was no way he was willing to allow Grimmjow Jaegerjaques to get off scot free after all he had done.

"Well it could say a lot of things." Senjumaru replied calmly. "I assume you're only willing to see the worst in him walking free, but it could also say some positive things about our desire to see continued peace from kingdom to kingdom. Executing him is archaic and unnecessary at this point."

"That's a load of bull and you know it!"

"Has Jaegerjaques behaved inappropriately since his arrival? Has he given you reason to suspect we are in danger?" the woman asked.

"He hasn't been able to do much since _this_ guy pretty much beat his face in." Oetsu interrupted, motioning towards the pompadour in the room.

Kirio plopped a piece of candy into her mouth before speaking. "How do you think Las Noches would feel if word of _that_ got out? Did you know there have been reports of protests in their kingdom when word of his failed execution reached their walls? Seireitei couldn't keep that a secret from their citizenry for long."

Tenjiro's eye twitched. " **I** am not the bad guy here! Stop ganging up on me like I was the one who destroyed the better part of Seireitei's Karakura district! It's almost like you three want this kid to be crowned _King of Seireitei_ or something!"

"Now wait a minute. That's an interesting idea." Kirio smiled. "It's not like they have one right now."

"Let's not forget that every king needs his queen." Oetsu commented, "Or… other king…? I don't know how the public would react to that…"

"What does _that_ mean?" Senjumaru raised a curious eyebrow. Her investigation had been restricted to Nel and her group, so she had not received intel regarding the relationships among all the members in Ichigo's traveling group.

"I mean that Jaegerjaques seems to harbor some sort of protective, if not romantic, bond with-"

Tenjiro's fist slammed against the meeting room table. "ARE YOU THREE SERIOUS?"

"Obviously not." Oetsu smirked at the fuming man.

"If we're done with all that," Ichibe interrupted, "We can't really determine Jaegerjaques' future. That's up to the King to decide."

"That Kurosaki boy is in there begging pardon for him right now, no?" Kirio asked. "That's so sweet. They'd probably make a cute couple." She said too fondly, in the way one would when doting on an infant child.

"You haven't even seen them in the same room." Oetsu mentioned, shaking his head.

"I'm imagining it. Sue me." The woman defended her thoughts.

"I'm sure hearing the emotional testimony of his lovesick companion will be a first for the King." Senjumaru let a small grin grace her face. She turned to Ichibe with a more serious expression. "What would you have done with them?"

"Well," Ichibe leaned forward with his elbows on the table. "Kurosaki needs to go home. He has no further reason to be wandering about, especially not with the crystals latched onto him."

"About that," the raven-haired captain began, "I couldn't ascertain the exact location of the crystals. I just know the gypsy was temporarily holding them. And since even we don't know how exactly the crystals operate, they very well could be with Kurosaki now."

"All the more reason to send him back to Seireitei—where he will be safe and monitored." Ichibe concluded. "As for Jaegerjaques, if I had my way, he'd be spending some time in prison."

"THANK YOU!" Tenjiro exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air for a second.

The bearded man met the gaze of every one of the other captains before speaking again. "However, we may have an opportunity to gain more knowledge about Las Noches on our hands."

"How do you mean?" Kirio asked.

"Jaegerjaques is a Prince from the land. If we can keep him attached to Kurosaki, we could spy on them and figure out just what the hell it is Aizen is planning. We all know he's been gone from the kingdom for some time now, but none of our men are able to figure out where he went. And while we received word from Seireitei that he likely has interest in those old desert ruins, Aizen used his Zanpakutō on them. So even if they were to go out into the desert to investigate, they could fall into a trap or be lost in an illusion. We need brand new eyes on this."

"Are you suggesting we persuade Jaegerjaques to betray Las Noches and act as our spy?" Senjumaru inquired. "That would never work. He's too volatile and conspicuous for espionage."

"We don't need him to do that. We just need him to go home."

"Then how would we get the intel we need from him?" Oetsu squinted beneath his sunglasses.

"He'll give it willingly, I can assure you. Just not to _us_ …" Ichibe said, then stared at Tenjiro, "All of this hinges on the King's decision, but that doesn't mean we can't be proactive in the meantime. We need to determine some things. So Tenjiro, I have a _special_ assignment for you."

Tenjiro saw the look in Ichibe's dark eyes and slowly shook his head in horror, "No… Don't tell me…"

"That's right. I need you to determine where Kurosaki's loyalties truly lie."

* * *

"It's _your_ fault we're here in the first place!" Nel shouted as she rolled her eyes at Jinta, who was staring daggers at her. She leaned back against the wall and folded her arms. "If you hadn't been so sure Ichigo was here so you could find _whoever_ it is you're looking for, we never would have been dragged up into this place!"

"Nobody told you you had to follow me!" Jinta snapped.

Nel cleared her throat, then pulled Kon out from her booksack. "You had Kon, and I couldn't just let you take him. He has… well, never mind what he has!"

"Keep him away from me!" Kon shouted, earning a glare from Jinta.

Ururu sat waiting quietly and patiently in the large room as the others argued back and forth. The room was very homey, and reminded her of Urahara's shop back in Seireitei. The rice doors lined three of the four walls, the floors were neatly paneled with tatami mats, and very large lantern lights hung from the ceiling. Though, the light from outside that was coming through the doors was more than enough to light the room on its own.

She wondered why they were being kept here in such a nice place.

"Just tell me who you're looking for!" Nel ordered.

"I told you it was no one!" Jinta dismissed.

"Someone's coming." Ururu calmly stated.

Nel leaned forward when the one of the doors slid open. "Ichigo!" she gasped, then jumped up and ran over to throw herself at him and embrace him in a warm hug. "I missed you so much!"

Ichigo smiled as Nel jumped up and down with her arms around his neck. "Hey, Nel..." He said. After a moment, he squinted from the lack of sufficient oxygen, "I can't… I can't breathe!"

"Hi, Ichigo. It's good to see you." Ururu said with a gentle smile as she stood and walked over to him. "I hope you've been well."

"More or less." The orange-head said. "I'm surprised to see you and Jinta here, if I'm being honest."

"Well, here he is!" Nel said, turning to Jinta, "Ask him for whomever it is you're looking for."

Arms crossed, Jinta averted his gaze to the floor and didn't speak.

"He's only here because he was 'bored' back in Seireitei, and he also thought finding you would lead him to someone he's been wanting to see!" Nel informed Ichigo enthusiastically. "Even I'm curious about who such a bratty kid could be devoting so much time to chasing after. Could it be love?"

"It wasn't that much time…" Ururu commented. "Just a few days."

"That's more than enough!" the gypsy said.

"Jinta, do you want to talk about it in private?" Ichigo asked. Jinta looked back to Ichigo, and the older could see the younger's hesitation. "Maybe later?"

"Ichigo!" Kon shouted, "I've never been so happy to see you!"

"Nice to see you, too, Kon." Ichigo said genuinely, then grabbed him and dropped the crystal he'd been holding into Kon's mouth. "Where's Chile?" he asked Nel.

"Asleep. He's been wanting to see you, though." Nel said, pulling him out from her front pouch pocket. She had easily concealed him thanks to the thickness of her attire.

Ichigo took Chile into his arms and smiled down at him. "I'm glad you're all okay. I take it you got your crystal?"

"Sure did! All we had to do was beat a wind god at a race to the ground from hundreds of feet in the air." Nel said confidently.

An orange eyebrow rose, "How… did you beat-"

"It was hard at first! He beat me about six times, but I finally realized I could use not only my transformation for a boost in speed, but also Chile to beat him to the ground."

"You… used your transformation and Chile…" Ichigo paused, "Never mind. I'm just glad you could do it without me." He grinned.

"I was kicking ass and taking names long before we met." The girl boasted.

"I know." Ichigo said, and then looked around the large room briefly before speaking again. "Grimmjow and Pantera aren't here with you…?"

"I haven't seen either of them since before we split up."

"We released them a little while ago." Ichibe's deep voice came from the hallway.

The orange-head turned and saw him coming his way, "Where did you release them to?" he asked suspiciously.

"The hot springs for now. Tenjiro gave them free passes to it for some reason." The large captain said, "All of you are free to visit them."

"What about Inoue?" Ichigo asked.

"She's still in our custody, and will remain that way until orders are given to release her back to Seireitei. I should add that you lot are also still in our custody until the King's orders are given, and negotiations with your kingdom are solidified. Until then, you're all free to explore the amazing Capital City."

"Can I _visit_ her, at least?"

"I don't see why not. Once Captain Kirio finds her, that is." Ichibe said as he started on his way down the hall. "She might have slipped away to find you, Kurosaki." His words echoed through the hall.

"Dun, dun, duunnn!" Nel said. When Ichigo looked at her over his shoulder at her, she grinned, "What? It seemed appropriate. Now, let's go find your girlfriend and your boyfriend!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the comments, kudos, and bookmarks so far everyone! :)


	76. capital captives

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING! This chapter contains mature content.

"Are you really going to nap with so much going on?" Ururu's gentle voice broke the long-standing silence that had taken the room. She was comfortably seated on the bed she'd been provided with a book in-hand, unwilling to leave Jinta all alone.

Curled up under his blankets, Jinta refused to open his eyes. He wanted nothing more than to return home, but now that he was a person of interest in the Capital's investigation into Ichigo and that Grimmjow fellow, that was quite impossible. Of course it was just his luck to be dragged into this mess now that he wanted to return to Seireitei.

Honestly, he should have just waited this out. He should have just stayed put, rather than hoping for some sort of amazing adventure that would carry him to that stupid idiotic moron, Renji. This is what following his heart got him.

The teen exhaled deeply.

He wasn't exactly sure where these strangely gushing feelings had come from. Renji was always just _around_ , being a stupid adult and getting in the way all the time. Growing up at Urahara's Shop, he encountered the other redhead frequently, as that was where he and Ichigo trained—though mostly Ichigo. And wherever there was Ichigo, there was usually Renji.

All of this probably started a while before Renji, Ichigo, and Rukia left Seireitei for Las Noches. He'd been noticing things about Renji he never cared to think about before. He was suddenly and inexplicably happier when Renji came around, and found himself spending way more time in the big oaf's company than what he was used to. The teasing he'd come to expect from him was suddenly desirable because it meant Renji was paying him some attention. And it wasn't like he never noticed the quick glances Renji would give him or the grins or the way he constantly pointed out how much Jinta was growing. The nights Renji would occasionally spend at Urahara's to train were admittedly quite nice. Awkward, now that Jinta was becoming aware of his own open sexuality, but still pleasant.

It was as though Renji was a piece in Jinta's life, and when he was gone, there was a noticeable void that needed to be filled. No one else could occupy it, though… Of that he'd become certain.

Ururu was the only person he'd ever revealed his growing sexual inclination for Renji to. And she accepted him, offering nothing but kindness and an understanding ear on the rare occasion that Jinta decided to bring it up.

The day Jinta found out Renji had been returned to Seireitei in critical condition by a gypsy, he found his way to the Court Guards' base of operations—that amazing castle—and made sure the idiot was okay. This was done under the guise of delivering some food and other items to him in Urahara's stead. He intended to stay with him for at least the night, but was told it wasn't necessary. Unwilling to give up the secret he'd been concealing from Renji, Jinta didn't push the matter and went home.

Seeing Renji alive and well after finding out he was almost murdered in the desert was the wake-up call the teen needed to realize he didn't mean the threats and damn near hurtful things he'd always said to the older man in the past.

He never apologized to Renji for those things, but as they seemed to get closer, now that Jinta was more mature, he knew Renji didn't take it to heart.

Jinta couldn't admit the budding feelings he had because he wasn't sure how to do it. He also knew Rukia was perhaps his biggest obstacle at earning _that_ kind of attention from Renji.

But no matter the things he told himself to procrastinate the deed, the time to confess was near…

He just had to _come out and tell him_ the next time they saw each other. Though, who knew how long that would be? Renji and his squad were gone and had been gone from Seireitei for quite some time. Nobody knew where they were...

"If you ever want to talk about it again, I'm here." Ururu's sweet words caught him off guard. "You don't have to deal with it alone."

"Thanks." Jinta said, and then decided he was going for a walk. He needed to be alone for a while…

* * *

Heavy steam rose from the massive room of springs Ichigo had been guided to—separate from Nel, who insisted she would find him if she encountered Inoue. Interestingly enough, there were several springs that were more elevated than others, pooling steaming water down wherever possible. The high wooden walls served to preserve any privacy one could want whilst soaking half-naked, or fully naked, in steaming water. Ichigo stepped into the room with nothing but a towel covering him, and looked around for Grimmjow. To his pleasure, there wasn't anyone in the room, meaning whenever he _did_ find Grimmjow, they could be alone together.

Just as he made to step into the hot water, he heard a giant splash that startled him. Heart nearly jumping from his chest, he slipped and fell into the scalding water.

He shot up with a scream, his skin already flustered pink, near red.

After removing his bangs from his eyes and wiping the water away, he looked around until he caught sight of Grimmjow—his Grimmjow—through the steam. It had been a few days since they saw each other, and he couldn't have been happier to see him again. They hadn't spent this much time apart in a long time, and he wasn't exactly sure how to feel about his evident need to be at Grimmjow's side.

While he had full view of Grimmjow, the Arrancar seemed unaware of him. He was mostly submerged with only his head, neck, and shoulders above the surface of the water. He was resting with his eyes closed…

This was strange behavior for Grimmjow, considering he was in the heart of the enemy capital in enemy custody.

"Grimmjow." Ichigo heard the sound of his own voice as he moved towards said man.

Those vibrant cerulean eyes opened and Grimmjow met Ichigo's gaze, practically seeing through him.

He was surprised when Ichigo reached him and grabbed him into a hug.

"Kurosaki…" he exhaled in disbelief. His sweet yet stubborn Kurosaki was back at his side again.

Ichigo stared up at Grimmjow's face that was glistening with sweat, wet bangs sticking to his forehead. He ran his thumb along his cheek and offered a small smile. "It's good to see you again."

Grimmjow brought his hand from under the water and pulled Ichigo's hand away, yet he didn't release him. He hoped he had healed completely. He didn't want Kurosaki to see him the way he was after what that shitty pompadour had done to his royal, handsome face.

Kurosaki didn't seem concerned, so he figured it was cleared up by now.

"Yea, it's been a while."

"…I know…" Ichigo hesitated for a split second and stared at what was visible of the scar running down Grimmjow's torso, "Things have gotten out of control. I feel like I've put you in danger again. I never should have told you to meet me here. Now you're being held prisoner, just property of the crown…"

Grimmjow didn't respond. He couldn't seem to keep his eyes on Ichigo, knowing what he now knew... He felt himself becoming warm from discomfort, if that was even possible given the steaming water they were in… not to mention his thickened skin that often counteracted extreme temperatures…

"But I spoke to the King for you. I asked him to pardon you and let you go home. If he agrees, you can go back to Las Noches and you won't have to be caught up in all this anymore." Ichigo continued.

The larger man took in a breath and exhaled before he spoke. "You trying to get rid of me now? I thought you loved me."

Ichigo's eyebrows rose a little and he looked somewhat uncertain, "Of course I…" he paused, "Look, whenever you come into contact with my comrades, things always turn out like this. I'm not saying you're blameless, but maybe it just wasn't meant for us to… you know… live the life I thought we could."

Grimmjow noticed Ichigo's gaze turn down to the water, unable to continue. He urged him on. "Continue." He said.

"I want to be with you, Grimm. You know that… I know you do. But I can't just _leave_ my family, friends, and comrades…"

Reaching out, Grimmjow pulled Ichigo to him by the back of his neck and held him snugly against his slick chest. After burying his nose in the other's damp orange locks, he spoke. "Like you said a long time ago, we'll figure something out. I'm not handing you over to them so you can find some other guy to fuck for the rest of your life. You're _mine_ , Kurosaki."

"And you're mine, Grimmjow." The orange-head countered. "Don't ever forget that." He closed his eyes for a moment, feeling Grimmjow's strong heartbeat in his chest. His eyes snapped open and he pulled away. "Hey, where's Pantera?"

"Somewhere around here… avoiding the water." Grimmjow smirked. "That panther's never been a fan of baths."

Ichigo half-grinned. He couldn't help but be reminded of the first time he came to know this fact, back in Las Noches. Things were so different now than they were back then…

He was caught up in the memories until something else crossed his mind. "Hey, how'd you manage to get your crystal?"

Grimmjow's attitude took a noticeable negative shift. His brow furrowed a bit and he avoided making eye contact. "It wasn't hard. That's all I can really tell you." he said.

"Come on, spill it. Nel told me how she got hers." Ichigo innocently smiled.

The Arrancar rolled his eyes, "How'd you get _yours_?"

"Oh, the guardian was a copy of Rukia's Zanpakutō. She sat me down and talked to me about my life, and Rukia, and she even seemed to know about you somehow... she mentioned a bundle I'd get from you or something… it was vague… Anyway, after she found out why I needed the crystal, she let me enter the temple inside the ice cavern and asked Hyōrinmaru to let me use it."

"That simple, huh?" Grimmjow commented. "You were basically given the crystal."

"Yea. It helps that I have a connection with those two spirit copies' owners. I wanna know how _you_ got one on your own, though." The younger offered that naive smile again.

"I don't want to talk about it. Change the subject. Now."

Reluctantly, Ichigo complied. "Alright… Well… Did you miss me?"

"Nope." Grimmjow teased, and he grinned when Ichigo splashed him for that response.

"Liar."

"I know _you_ missed _me_ , though. Your body is practically begging me to fuck you."

Ichigo scoffed, "Oh get over yourself!"

"Just admit it, Kurosaki. It's perfectly fine to feel this way. My dick can be pretty addictive, I know." The bluenette flashed a smug grin.

Instead of offering a reply, Ichigo grinned and shook his head. He got an idea and acted on it without delay.

Grimmjow watched as Ichigo removed his towel and started floating away on his back. Those brown eyes of his were heavy-lidded and calling his name as they met his own. Unable to resist the naked floating beauty, he nearly sprung forward to catch his prey, removing his own towel in the process.

Ichigo allowed himself to be caught, but gasped when Grimmjow stood him up and pressed his erection against his back. "Already?" he teased the older man.

"It's been a while since I had you…" Grimmjow breathed into his ear, sending a welcomed chill up the other's spine. "And I want you more than ever… This ass belongs to me." He continued as he forced Ichigo against the rocks lining the edge of the pool and then shoved two fingers into his inviting hole.

"Ah, jeez! Not so rough!" Ichigo winced, momentarily biting his lip. He braced himself with one hand and grabbed Grimmjow's wrist with the other.

Grimmjow slowly removed his fingers as he leaned in close and nibbled at Ichigo's ear, "You want this?" he asked, pressing the tip of his erection against him.

"Fuck me, Grimmjow. Like you said, I missed you—missed this. Do it." Ichigo told him near breathlessly. The moment those words left his lips, he felt Grimmjow spread his legs with his own. When he felt Grimmjow's cock slide between his ass cheeks, he turned and looked over his shoulder, meeting those lustful eyes.

"You ready?" Grimmjow near whispered. When he saw Ichigo confirm with a nod, he grinned and carefully forced himself inside the tight hole. He exhaled desperately, still somehow able to feel the other's warmth despite the hot spring waters. Leaning forward, he kissed the nape of the other's neck and then bit the skin lightly as he fully made his way in.

They stayed still for a moment, adjusting to the feeling of being united like this again.

Ichigo panted heavily as Grimmjow got his slow rhythm going. At the feel of the other's arm wrapping around his neck, he instinctively brought a hand up to hold onto it tightly. With the other, he moved it back to grip Grimmjow's ass and encourage him on.

Grimmjow made to tell Ichigo to arch his back, but before he could, it was done. "Damn I missed this…" he panted. He managed to speed up in no time, becoming immersed in the overwhelming passion of the moment.

"I think I want to… try a different position…" Ichigo managed to say.

A blue eyebrow cocked. "Oh?" the larger man said, slowing his pace.

Ichigo slowly and carefully freed himself of Grimmjow completely and turned to face him. "Yeah.." he smiled, still breathing a bit heavily. With haste, he forced Grimmjow to the shallow end of the spring and sat him down. Luckily, it seemed Grimmjow was intrigued by this.

After placing one hand on Grimmjow's shoulder, and the other on his cock, Ichigo climbed onto his lap and kissed him as he sat on it. It slipped inside much easier than it had a moment ago.

Grimmjow was thrown into a hormonal frenzy when he saw Kurosaki throw his head back as he started riding him. The sight of his bare skin glistening from sweat urged him forward. He ran his tongue over Kurosaki's neck, savoring the salty taste his mate gave off.

"Grimmjow…" Ichigo called.

Blue eyes moved to stare at the other's mouth.

"You're the only thing I want... I need _you_ to stay in my life…"

Grimmjow smirked. He was taken by surprise when Ichigo finally looked down and grabbed his cheek and skeletal mask in his loving hands. "Please tell me…" Ichigo hesitated, "Tell me how you feel."

"Kurosaki…" The bluenette closed his eyes, "I don't know… All I do know is… fuck… I think I… I want you just as bad as I want that fucking crown…!" he admitted.

Ichigo looked Grimmjow's face over twice as he continued riding him, trying to determine if that was the truth. If so, it said a lot about how far they'd come since the beginning. "I love you, Grimmjow. I would be yours forever, you know… The crown… It can't please you like-"

"Shit!" Grimmjow moaned and closed his eyes as he felt himself nearing his end.

He quickly grabbed hold of Kurosaki's member and stroked him. First, he stared into those brown eyes as he did. They were telling that Kurosaki was almost there. He looked down in time to see cum shoot out, opening his mouth to catch some of it as it did.

When Kurosaki wrapped both arms around his neck and pulled his head against his chest, Grimmjow lost himself with a satisfied moan. He kissed Kurosaki's strong arm and closed his eyes, letting the last of his orgasm leave him and flee into his mate.

If there was one thing he knew, it was that there had never been anyone in his life that could excite him in this way. No one who made him want to seek them out. No one's attention or approval he sought this badly…

Perhaps it was the heat of the moment telling him this, and perhaps not, but he did feel _something_ for Kurosaki. Someday, he figured he just might figure things out and be able to express these thoughts…

Unbeknownst to the two as they ended their little lover's embrace, located their pet panther, and then took off from the springs, a red-faced and disturbed Tenjiro sat stewing in the most elevated spring in the room.

 _I don't even know what to make of 'loyalties' after hearing all of that…_ he thought. _Not to mention I gave that royal bastard free reign of my springs and he decides to fill them up with cum?_

If Oetsu were here, Tenjiro was certain he would say it's what he deserved for the beating he dished out earlier…

* * *

"Do you have a room?" Ichigo asked as he and Grimmjow walked the halls of… well, he wasn't quite sure where they were. He adjusted his towel when he felt it slipping on his waist as they walked.

"I was told I'd be sleeping in the room all the way at the end of the hall." The Arrancar replied flatly. He didn't press the matter, but he was royalty. The room he was provided could not accommodate the needs of a future king. As he stared at Kurosaki, he realized he hadn't been given much special treatment since he left Las Noches. Almost every place they'd stayed, they'd been allowed into on the good graces of strangers, and they were _still_ humble lodgings.

Kurosaki didn't seem to mind, though. Grimmjow wondered what his home in Seireitei was like… what his family was like… that allowed him to be so appreciative and comfortable with peasant-like dwellings.

"Hey, isn't your girlfriend here?" he wound up asking as they proceeded to his room. He assumed Kurosaki would be spending the night with him, of course, but had to raise the question anyway. His curiosity about their relationship was still very aroused. Concern would be a more accurate way to describe it, though Grimmjow would never admit to that…

"She is. But I haven't actually seen her yet." Ichigo replied.

"You're not gonna go find her to spend the night together?"

"I have you for that. Besides, I can't sense her Reiatsu. Captain Ichibe assured me she was here, and I believe him. She just… slipped away…"

Grimmjow raised an eyebrow as they reached his door. "That doesn't concern you? Or make you wanna go seek her out?" he asked as he opened it.

"I'll have a better chance of finding her if I stay in one area. She's probably looking for me, and I know I can't detect her Reiatsu. So just waiting is really the only thing-"

"Kurosaki-kun!"

Ichigo froze at the sound of Inoue calling out to him. He half-turned and saw her standing at the opposite end of the hallway, nervously staring at him while holding her hands together. His eyes met her silver ones for the first time in many long weeks.

"Inoue…" he exhaled her name, as sweet as sugar on his tongue.

At last, he'd found her. The long journey was officially over now.


	77. a tightrope walker

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the comments, everyone! Enjoy the latest chapter :3

Ever-patient, but also feeling an undeniable tinge of anxiety, Ichigo waited at the end of the bar for his order to be called out. The preparer had just finished warming milk for the cups marked 'Kurosaki' and 'Inoue'. After dropping chocolate drops into them, he poured the steaming, foaming milk into the cups, gave a good stir, and then topped them with marshmallows.

Ichigo smiled and thanked the man when he came to the end of the bar to hand him his drinks. After taking the cups, he headed over to where he'd left Inoue sitting. She was staring out the tall window that had the curtains drawn back so the sunlight could pour in. What she was looking at, he was unsure of. There were so many things to be seen outside in the magnificently bustling capital.

He took a look out at the town as well, getting a very relaxed and homey feel from it, as he sat down. The gentle and jazzy café music playing overhead also served to calm him, even if only a little.

"Oh, thank you, Kurosaki-kun." Inoue smiled warmly, turning her attention back to him when he carefully placed her drink down in front of her.

"It's pretty hot, so be careful." Ichigo warned when she clasped her hands around the cup.

They were here in this coffee shop now because it was the safest place to be, oddly enough. Seeing how Inoue was currently being relentlessly searched for by the Zero Division, it was prudent to have moved away from their base of operations for catching up. It was also wise to remove any elements from their presence that might usher Inoue into a state of unease—that element being Grimmjow.

Of course, Ichigo had made these choices in order to set her at ease, considering what he needed to ask of her.

"I've missed Seireitei." Inoue finally spoke after a while of silence, solemnly despite the very date-like setting.

"Me too." Ichigo laughed, only for a second. When he saw her reaction was more surprised and confused, he clarified. "It's just that I've been gone from there for weeks now trying to get here to meet you."

"Weeks…?" she was still confused, he could see.

"I had to go a roundabout way to get here. I know it normally takes a few days at most, especially with a Captain escort. But I wanted to come, and I knew they wouldn't give me the clearance to just come visit you after everything that… uh… that happened…" he trailed off, realizing there wasn't much room to skirt around Grimmjow's involvement in this situation.

"I see…" Inoue trailed off too, "Well I'm so glad you came to see me! It's good to see a familiar face, especially yours, Kurosaki-kun!" she said, seemingly putting the past out of mind as she spoke.

"I'm sorry I couldn't protect you."

"Wh—what?" the girl was taken by surprise, as she wasn't expecting such a direct callback to that day. Not so soon, anyway. But truly, Ichigo had never been one who could avoid something like this. He usually was quite direct with her.

"When I saw you with a knife to your throat, I just… I had to save you. Surrendering was the only way I could… If I'd fought any more, it might have left one or both of us... well…" Ichigo didn't need to say it. "Anyway, he kept his word; Grimmjow did. He took me and left you alive and unharmed."

Inoue finally took a careful sip from her drink. After lowering the cup, she lightly touched the marshmallows a few times and felt they were starting to melt a little. "I'm thankful to you for fighting so hard for me. I was told about your wounds and how you were taken away from Seireitei for days. You might not think so, but you _did_ save me that day. It just wasn't the way you probably wanted to. So, thank you for what you did."

"I'd do it all again if I had to."

"There's no need for that." The girl smiled. "I'm kept very safe here."

"Well… actually… I came here to bring you home."

Inoue was taken aback. She couldn't even speak, she was so surprised. Her silver eyes were glued to Ichigo's brown ones, and she knew tears would run soon if she didn't work to stop them. To go home again. To see everyone again. To not feel like a caged bird anymore…

"I don't know if they'll let me. But that was one of the reasons I came here." Ichigo continued.

"How come…" Inoue hesitated, but drew strength enough to ask what had been plaguing her mind ever since she laid eyes on Ichigo here in the Capital, "How come you're here… with him?"

Ichigo knew it was coming, but that didn't make it any easier to be confronted with. He sighed, "It's a very long story…"

* * *

Rested rather comfortably on the roof of one of the Capital city buildings was Grimmjow, in casual Capital City attire—a navy t-shirt with royal markings sewn in and light gray shorts featuring the same, hair combed after that bath, though he'd forgone wearing shoes. These were the clothes left to him in his room, rather than anything he'd traveled here in. They'd forcibly made him one of them and he _hated_ it.

Currently, he was staring at the the city and the jolly peasants before him. At least being above it all gave him some kind of solace.

He noted the sky was just as blue here as it ever was in Las Noches, though the air was far different. He knew it was due to the elevation differences—what with this place being high in the air above the mountains and Las Noches being significantly closer to sea level… Still, it felt good to put a negative spin on it and just say the air here was unpleasant.

Naturally, this kingdom was just like Seireitei (if not worse). Everything was _so_ fucking perfect here. The people seemed very content as they went about their individual routines, there was lots of chattering on the air—he could hear it fifteen stories up, even. There were just so many _smiles_ and so much _politeness_ that he wished a giant meteor would fall from the sky and crash to set chaos to this place—since he was presently unable.

On a much related note, he also felt incredibly slighted that Kurosaki had taken leave from him to speak with that girl alone… Despite the flowery words he always told him about how he wanted to be together and how he loved him, that didn't make it seem any less suspicious to Grimmjow. Neglecting entirely that she would be uncomfortable around him after what he put her, her friends, and Seireitei through, he only knew this was just like the time with that Kenjou fellow. Someone had come to take Kurosaki's attention and he couldn't fucking take it.

But Kurosaki belonged to him; he had for a long time now.

A peasant like her should remember her place. One day, he might just have to make her realize it.

And rest assured he'd have some words for Kurosaki when they met again. He didn't even give him a say when suggesting speaking to her alone. He just _said that's what he was going to do and left him alone_.

This simply would _not_ stand.

Grimmjow's cerulean eyes moved down to Pantera, who was resting right beside him. At least someone remained loyal to him… He reached out and gently scratched his head, earning a purr from the slumbering felid. He smirked as he recalled something Kurosaki dared to tell him a while back about how he intended to keep Pantera when this journey was over and done. The idea of him taking _Grimmjow's_ spirit animal was frankly quite risible.

Pantera's blue eyes opened, and moved up to meet Grimmjow's.

"What?" the Arrancar said defensively.

"I said nothing." The panther flatly replied.

"You were thinking something."

Pantera closed his eyes again. "I just woke up. I was _thinking nothing_ as well."

Grimmjow's gaze turned out to the horizon, and there he saw the meadow where he'd waited for Kurosaki to bring him his sword after that failed execution. The time and distance between that point and now was practically unbelievable to him; perhaps it was all a dream of someone else's making. So much shit had happened since then… He couldn't seem to fully grasp how much he'd changed. Or, more specifically, how he'd allowed _Kurosaki_ to change him.

He could feel his heart beating as he spoke again. "Do you want to go with Kurosaki?"

Pantera seemed shocked in that he opened his eyes again and stared at his master. "Where is that coming from?"

"I'm just asking. Do you like being with him?"

"I'm not allowed a preference, Grimmjow. I stay with you because we are bonded on a metaphysical level. I don't have that connection with-"

"So if we didn't have a connection, would you leave?" Grimmjow asked.

Pantera couldn't seem to discern emotion in the statement. It seemed like Grimmjow was genuinely curious about what he would do if his hypothetical were an actuality. He closed his eyes again. "I would remain at your side unless you told me otherwise. You saved me when I was unable to save myself, and kept me at your side ever since. I've always wanted to protect you the same way you protected me. And lately, I feel like I've been able to do that." Of course, he wouldn't admit it was Ichigo who encouraged this motivation. It would only serve to further Grimmjow's suspicion.

Grimmjow took in a breath and let it out as the wind started to blow gently. He leaned against the tall barrier behind him and closed his eyes.

He'd seen enough of this place and these people. A nap was in order, as it was his only means of escape right now.

"Will you ever tell Ichigo?" Pantera's question caught the Arrancar off-guard.

"Tell him what?" cerulean eyes were open again.

"How you received that crystal." Pantera replied.

Grimmjow didn't respond right away. He mulled it over before speaking. "It's not important right now."

"It would be very important to him, and you know it."

"I don't want to talk about that with him." Grimmjow dismissed.

Pantera decided to let it go. Though, he did hope Grimmjow would be brave and stop hiding the truth from Ichigo. It was bound to come out someday, and he feared that when it did, it might just be too late…

* * *

"It all started the day I arrived in Las Noches to help Unohana-san treat some injured people. Everything was going well until I met Grimmjow in the streets… He and I got into a pretty heated discussion the first time we met… It was about a kid who needed some money, and Grimmjow thought-" Ichigo paused to choose his words carefully, "Well… he wanted to get rid of him. His comrade intervened before things escalated between us any further, and I thought that was the end of it. The next day though, he attacked Rukia, Renji, and me, and we had a battle that he ultimately won." Ichigo took a moment to reflect on that battle and Grimmjow's relentlessly brutal tendencies. So much so that when Inoue called his name, he was snatched back into reality. "Right! After the battle, he took me to Las Noches' palace. I was kept there for almost a week in his 'care'. Then I managed to get away and come home... thanks to another Espada."

Inoue seemed to be visibly disturbed by this information. Ichigo grew a bit warm and nervous, but he continued, as there was far more to tell.

"Of course, you know what happened in Seireitei. Grimm had you kidnapped to coerce me into fighting him. And then I lost to him a second time… He took me _back_ to Las Noches, but things were changing even there because of what he'd done. He was punished by a superior: Tousen-san. That punishment was the removal of his arm, which has weakened him significantly. He would have bled out if left all alone… I couldn't just watch him die, so I bandaged him up. And after that, everything was okay… Okay until he went hunting, that is. _Another_ Espada callously attacked him in the desert and I intervened to save him. That guy and his subordinate did horrible things to Grimmjow and I couldn't just let it happen even after all he'd done to me, or you guys. I was pretty overwhelmed and I honestly thought he and I were going to die that day, but Nel arrived and saved us. We would have been toast without her help."

"Nel… That's the girl who brought Kuchiki-san and Abarai-san home?" Inoue asked. The brief change in character from Grimmjow to Nelliel seemed to make her noticeably less perturbed.

"Yeah. She took on the people who attacked Grimmjow and I, letting us escape. And in the desert, I… um… I made a promise to Grimmjow that I'd…" Ichigo noticed Inoue was aware of his nervousness, "I promised him I'd get you to heal his arm for him!" he spouted the words and then bowed his head a little from guilt. "I know I shouldn't have, but he needed help. Even though he brought it on himself because of the awful things he did, he lost his agency and was nearly killed. I had to help him."

If Inoue had seen the things Ichigo had seen—seen Grimmjow suffering the way he had—perhaps she would better understand the decision he made. It was one thing to _see_ all the blood spilled, the tears cried, the pain endured, and the nightmarish horror he suffered, but it was another thing entirely to sit here retelling it in a coffee shop.

After a few moments, Ichigo looked up at Inoue, who had been very quiet despite what he'd just told her.

She looked shook by what he'd just revealed; uncomfortable and confused and frankly a little hurt.

"He's been traveling with me since the day I left Seireitei. He's not the same person he was back then. I promise you that." He added.

Inoue pulled her hands from the table and rested them in her lap, where she was surely fiddling with the hem of her sweater. "How can you be sure of that, Kurosaki-kun? If I healed him, how can you be sure he won't attack you… or this place, or Seireitei?" she asked.

"I know it sounds strange, but I just do. He wants to go home, not fight us anymore. He's learned from his mistakes." Ichigo assured her. But Inoue didn't _look_ assured. She was still quite apprehensive of the idea.

"I… Kurosaki-kun…"

"Please." Ichigo brought his hands together pleadingly and stared her right in the eyes. "I trust him with my life. He saved me plenty of times while we were traveling here. I'd be dead if it weren't for him."

Inoue closed her eyes and lowered her head a little. She offered no reply whatsoever.

"I love him." Ichigo admitted, and turned and stared out the window, where he unexpectedly caught sight of Grimmjow resting on a rooftop far off in the distance. He only recognized it was him because of his bright blue hair. "That's why I can trust him." He finished with a small smile. Despite feeling his heart beating insanely fast, he felt a weight being lifted from his shoulders.

Though, there were still more weights he would have to relive himself of whenever the time came for him to return home…

* * *

Rangiku yawned as she followed a ways behind Renji and a few of the other Vice Captains to the central meeting room. She stretched her arms out for a few seconds and then walked a bit faster to catch up with the others. Hinamori turned when she saw her and smiled.

"Good afternoon, Rangiku-san." The younger woman greeted.

"Hey hey. What's this about a meeting? Did I miss something?" she asked. She'd previously been napping in her office, and when she received a knocking and was told she needed to come here, she figured something major had happened.

"No one's told us about anything yet. But it's got to be important if they want us all there. The Captains have been in a meeting all morning." Hinamori said, becoming a bit more serious.

Renji turned when Rangiku bumped shoulders with him. "What?" he asked.

"It's been so long since we saw each other and _that's_ how you greet me? I'm hurt!"

The redhead smiled as they reached the door and opened it for her. "There you go, Queen Rangiku."

"Well, not that that's not true, but I can do _without_ the sarcasm." The woman told him, then turned her icy gaze into the large room as she entered.

Already waiting were the other Vice Captains, all seated and with their attention now focused on the later arrivals. A few seats were open next to Kira and Shuhei, so Rangiku quickly took one of them. When Shuhei looked at her, she winked and motioned at Renji with her eyes.

"Good afternoon." Hinamori greeted the two men after sitting down beside Rangiku.

"Afternoon, Hinamori." Kira gave a small smile.

Shuhei seemed to be too busy staring daggers at Rangiku to notice her. He'd long since felt this 'crush' she seemed to think he had on Renji had gone too far. Now she was just teasing him.

"Good morning everyone!" Ukitake's gentle voice came from the entryway. He entered the large room and headed to the front where the podium was situated.

"It's afternoon now, Jūshirō." Shunsui corrected, entering shortly after. "Ladies, gentlemen." He acknowledged the group as he followed his white-haired friend.

"Oh is it? I guess I'd better get lunch after this, then." Ukitake noted before beginning. "Alright everyone, I know it seems like a big deal that we've assembled you all here this afternoon," he began lightly, "And it kind of is. Listen carefully. We've been in talks with the Capital for the majority of the morning, and they've told us that Kurosaki Ichigo has been taken into their custody."

The information stirred a great amount of confusion and concern among the Vice Captains, as expected. Some of them were pretty close to Ichigo, after all. But even those who weren't had to wonder why the Capital would take a Substitute Court Guard into their custody.

"What do you mean 'taken into their custody'?! For what?" Renji asked, clearly the most concerned of the group. He feared it was for treason, if Ichigo was still with that Las Noches royal; which he almost certainly was.

"Is Ichi in trouble?" Yachiru asked.

Nemu was inconspicuously quiet—her usual demeanor. No one was aware that she already knew what he'd been up to after she encountered him, and even allowed him to carry on with his plans.

"He's been questioned for obtaining the crystals from the Spirit Guardians—information that was only known to Captains and Vice Captains. He was also questioned for traveling the escaped prisoner Grimmjow Jaegerjaques of Las Noches kingdom across the country." The Captain replied almost gravely. "And with our input, they've made a decision about what to do with the two of them, their friends, and Inoue Orihime."

There wasn't a Vice Captain in the room who wasn't shaken by this announcement.


	78. those that soar

"We never have any _us_ time, you know?" Senna noted as she took a seat at the large fountain located in the center of Seireitei's largest shopping plaza. She looked down at Rukia expectantly when she took a seat on the ground beside her.

"I suppose we don't." Rukia replied as she opened the lunch she'd gotten from the deli just a few minutes ago. After pulling out Senna's meatball sub, she handed it to her and then retrieved her own sandwich.

Senna gratefully took it and unwrapped it, eyeing it eagerly. After taking a savory bite, she turned her attention to the crowds of people who were out and about for lunch. "It's been so long since either of us got to see Ichigo, too... It's so weird not having him around."

"True. I won't say Ichigo was the life of the party… I guess… hmm," the raven-haired woman paused to seriously consider his role, "He's more like the house the party is thrown at."

"The _house_?" Senna's face conveyed her confusion quite well.

"Yea. Of course, he wouldn't be the loud music that keeps it live. He'd be the place where it happens, and without that, it couldn't really happen at all. If that makes sense…" Rukia felt she gave a good explanation. She smiled and nodded to herself.

"I guess… Weird analogy, though, Rukia."

Said woman shrugged. "As long as you got it."

"Sooooo…" Senna began.

"Sooo?" Rukia echoed.

"Do you think Ichigo will be coming home soon? After everything that happened the day he left, I hope he hasn't switched sides or anything."

"Don't be silly." Rukia smirked, "Ichigo might be stupid sometimes, but he wouldn't turn his back on any of us."

"But that's exactly what he did the day he left… Remember?" Senna reminded her.

"…" Rukia was speechless, but only briefly so. "I think things are a little more complicated than you think they are. If you think about it, Ichigo's motives seem pretty telling. On one hand, he is acting to help the Las Noches fellow, Grimmjow. But on the other, he is acting to help Orihime, a Seireitei citizen. He's balancing two kingdoms that have a great deal of tension between them on his shoulders alone. Maybe… maybe he has some sort of plan to ease that tension."

"I mean… I get what you're saying," Senna started, then took another bite of her sandwich, "But it just seemed like he was acting as the situation unfolded… the day he left, anyway." She said, trying to speak clearly while eating.

"We just need to trust in him…" Rukia finished. She did hope Ichigo could figure something out. Inoue had been gone for long enough. They'd all been apart for long enough. It did seem that the only way they'd all be together again would be to finally work out the issues between Seireitei and Las Noches. But those issues existed for so long, and no one person could expect to solve them in a matter of days. And most importantly, they'd already attempted to do that with the treaty that went awry...

"Do you think…" Senna lowered her sandwich and started solemnly at the pavement, "He would leave us all for that guy? He did it once already…"

"Things were different then. He was in a difficult position. You could tell he was. While we don't know his true motives, Ichigo isn't a shady guy. Usually, when he goes out on a limb like he did when he left, it's usually to help someone." Rukia knew Ichigo's benevolent tendencies all too well by now. He went against Seireitei long ago to save her, after all…

In fact, he'd done the same thing for Senna once, before any suspicions of her had been cleared and she was allowed into Court Guard training. And he was doing the same thing now with Inoue.

Senna wasn't fully convinced. "I can't imagine why he'd want to help the guy who beat him bloody, tried to kill his friends, attacked his kingdom, kidnapped him, and God knows what else…"

"He's a complicated man." Rukia remarked with a smile, trying to reassure her friend. She was being oddly negative today, after all.

She did happen to notice Senna's gaze move from looking at her to something behind her. When she turned to see what it was, she was a little surprised to see Renji approaching them with a very serious look on his face.

"Renji…" she called, already knowing something was amiss.

With his hands in his pockets, Renji came over to the girls and looked Rukia right in the eyes. "I need to talk to you…"

* * *

Ichigo felt his heartbeat in his chest as he waited for Inoue to say something in response to his confession. She was staring down at her drink with her hands clasped around it.

"I'm sorry to spring all of this on you…" he said, trying to remedy the situation.

Inoue took in a breath and let it out before speaking. "Kurosaki-kun, you know I want to help you, but what you're asking is… Isn't that going against what Seireitei would want?"

"I know it seems that way, but that's why he's here with me. I'm going over the Captains' heads to get Grimmjow a pardon. He's not such a bad guy anymore." Ichigo replied.

Before either of them could say another word, the front door to the coffee shop flew open and in came Captain Ichibe, looking just as wildly serious as he ever did. Ichigo stood up when he saw him and moved so he was standing in front of Inoue.

Ichibe met his eyes, and before he knew anything, the burly captain was upon him like a thunderstorm out of the blue.

Unwilling to falter under the larger man's fiery gaze, he stood his ground despite his lack of defense.

"Kurosaki, I've come to escort Inoue back to her room. Thank you for finding her for me." Ichibe stated as he stared down into defiant eyes.

"She's just out having lunch with me. I can see her back to-"

"Out of the question. Stand down and follow me." The Captain interrupted.

"Wh—what?"

"I'll be returning her to her room. You need to come with me as well. When I've seen her safely to her room, I need to discuss with you where you and the rest of your friends go from here."

Ichigo was about to respond, but Captain Kirio burst into the restaurant and hurried over to them.

"There she is!" the woman called out, bypassing both Ichibe and Ichigo to reach Inoue. After taking one of the girl's hands into her own, she bowed her head for a second. "I'm sorry Orihime-san, but it's time for you to come with me, dear." She turned to Ichibe, "I'll look after her."

Inoue stared at Kirio for a moment, then she looked at Ichigo's backside. He'd stood up to the captains for her here, and was going around the ones back in Seireitei by _coming_ here.

"Let's go, Kurosaki. We have important matters to discuss." Ichibe said, stepping aside so Ichigo could walk on ahead of him.

Ichigo begrudgingly did as he was bid, and just before exiting the restaurant, he turned and met Inoue's eyes for the very last time.

"Where is Grimmjow?" he asked as he and Ichibe headed back in the direction of the Zero Division's main compound. He noticed he wasn't atop that building anymore.

"Let's focus on you for now." The larger man replied, dismissing the subject. From that point on, the trip to their destination was a quiet and tense one.

~O~

"Please, have a seat here." Ichibe instructed as he led Ichigo into what appeared to be a meeting room full of benches.

The layout and the wood-paneled floors, the wide windows that allowed sunlight to fill the room… It all reminded Ichigo of the meeting rooms in Seireitei. It was a notable shift in atmosphere compared to the first time he'd been alone in a room to speak with Captain Ichibe. Even so, he'd learned not to trust this man too much. He was a strategist, always thinking many steps ahead; just like Ishida.

He suspected that he was brought here instead of the windowless interrogation room from before to subliminally calm him. It was a shame that he had to think this way—being so suspicious all the time—but he had no choice but to grow to be a little cynical and cautious when his trusting nature left him susceptible to manipulation in the past…

"I take it some decision has been made regarding my audience with the King?" Ichigo asked as he walked over to the window to stare out at the Capital City, rather than taking a seat.

"That's right." Ichibe said, with his back now pressed against a wall and his arms folded.

"And?"

"First of all, Inoue Orihime is going to stay here under our watch. This is a confidential matter that I can't discuss with you further. Just know that she is in good hands."

"But she wants to go home!"

"You children don't always get what you want. Get over it, Kurosaki. This is bigger than you or her." Ichigo's face grew notably more displeased. Ichibe ignored it and continued. "You're going back to Seireitei, along with those two kids who work for that Urahara. If you don't release the crystals from your care, you will not be allowed to leave the kingdom walls once you are returned there."

Ichigo made to speak, but he felt something come over him. It was as if time had halted all around him and he was underwater. A voice told him something he could barely make out, but before he could process what had occurred, things were back to normal and Ichibe raised an eyebrow at him.

"No objections?" the Captain asked.

"I'll have to… uh… think about it... What about Nel, Grimmjow, and Pantera?"

"Free to go as well. Grimmjow Jaegerjaques should consider issuing a public apology to Seireitei, no matter how prideful he may be, and no matter what the public opinion is about him. It needs to be done if he wishes to regain a more positive reception from the kingdom. Since he hasn't actively worked against the Capital, we came to the conclusion that the matter is out of our hands for the most part."

"So… he's not in any trouble?" Ichigo asked.

"That depends on who you're asking. He's not in trouble with us or the Royal Family, but his relationship with your kingdom is soured like old milk. The only reason _we're_ not taking action against him is because the King made the decision after much consideration. I'm sure your little plea may have swayed him in favor of the ruffian."

"…" The younger man was still convinced there was something he was missing. "Can I have permission to visit Inoue?"

"No, you can't. Not anymore, anyway. After her actions of sneaking away to find you, she will be monitored day and night. As for you, your superiors are not pleased with your underhanded measures to come here. You'll have to answer to them when you return home."

As one might expect, Ichigo wasn't at all satisfied with the situation. While everyone managed to make it out alive thus far, he hadn't accomplished either of the goals he originally came here for. That was the hardest thing to face right now. Sure, he could go home, but he wouldn't be bringing Inoue back like he said he would, and he wouldn't be able to get Grimmjow's arm healed like he promised.

Grimmjow certainly wouldn't take that news well… Hell, he probably wouldn't trust Ichigo anymore after hearing it.

"Is there anything else you'd like to ask while you're still here?"

By now, Ichigo really just wanted to get this over with so he could face the music. Whatever was to come with Grimmjow, with Seireitei, and with his friends and comrades, he was preparing himself for. "No. I think I'm ready to go home…" he said. Though he suffered a defeat here, maybe it wasn't for nothing.

Inoue now knew he wasn't content to just letting her be shipped off to some far off place. And Grimmjow… well, Grimmjow knew the risks he'd taken to get here. He knew this was no endeavor to take lightly. Maybe at the end of it all, they'd both know that he loved them dearly and he did literally everything in his power to help them.

One could only hope they would, anyway…

* * *

Chile didn't even need to see Ichigo when he entered the room to know he was depressed. He could literally feel the emotions his human counterpart emitted, and the thought that he was feeling this way pained the fledgling greatly.

He actually _didn't_ see Ichigo when he entered because he was resting under a pile of Nel's clothes and sheets on the bed. Before he made to come out, he stopped when Ichigo and Nelliel started talking about everything that happened.

"Well, are we all gonna be prisoners here forever, or…?" Nel began jokingly. She could probably tell Ichigo wasn't in the best of spirits.

"We're all basically free to go." The orange-head said. And even though this would seem like good news, Chile knew there was more to the story.

"Even Grimmjow? And what about your friend, Orihime?"

"Grimmjow, yes. Inoue, no."

So this is what was weighing on Ichigo's mind so heavily. The fact that he would not be able to take his friend back home with him… It was understandable, considering it was one of his main objectives in this long, arduous journey. Chile had no choice but to know it, really.

And what about Grimmjow's arm?

"She'll be safe here, right? At least there's that..." Nel tried consoling Ichigo.

Chile knew it wasn't working. He only wished there was _something_ he could do to help…

"We can protect her back home, though." Ichigo insisted. Nel didn't reply right away. But before she could, Ichigo spoke again. "I need to break the news to Grimmjow that I won't be able to get his arm healed… Do you know where he is?"

"Sorry, I don't."

"I need to find him… Can you do me a solid and round up the others? It's time for us to go home." Ichigo said crestfallenly.

"Of course. Let me know if you need anything." Nel nodded. She put a firm hand on Ichigo's shoulder, "You did everything you could." She told him before he left. "I wish there was more I could do…" she said after he'd gone.

Walking over to the bed, she started looking through the pile of clothes she had on the bed and discovered Chile was nowhere to be found.

"Chile?" she called in the empty room.

* * *

Ichigo had tracked Grimmjow's Reiatsu back to his room, where Nel said he likely was. He wondered how the Arrancar had gone from a rooftop miles away to here in the time Ichibe had discussed their terms of release with him.

He stood staring at the door for a while, unsure of what exactly he was going to say to Grimmjow. The best thing he thought of was to let him down easy, and reassure him he meant to fulfill his promise someday. At least, if nothing else, Grimmjow was well aware of how he felt about him, so he must have some knowledge that this was never the turnout Ichigo wanted.

To Ichigo, this wasn't the end.

There _was_ a way to retrieve Inoue from this stronghold, and that was by finding and confronting Aizen. If he was able to figure out what he was after…

Well, knowing what he was doing probably wouldn't help. Because what if, as all the Captains suspected, it was something dreadful?

Perhaps this was the reason he needed to keep the crystals now that he'd already used them to enter the Capital…

Ichigo wasn't sure of anything anymore, all he did know was he needed to keep going. Even if Grimmjow hated him and never spoke to him again. Even if the higher-ups in Seireitei reprimanded him for coming here without permission. Even if his family and friends didn't accept the love he had for Grimmjow…

He had to keep going.

Reaching out, he knocked the door and waited patiently in the quiet hallway.

After a moment, the door opened to reveal Grimmjow on the other side of it.

"Hey, can I come in?" Ichigo asked. He could feel a cold and distant vibe coming from the other. It definitely wasn't the best way to start this conversation off.

Grimmjow opened the door all the way and stepped aside so he could. "What now, Kurosaki? Got bored with your girl?" he asked after the shorter man entered the room.

"We're going home." Ichigo told him, without really looking at him. He caught sight of Pantera standing on his hind legs, looking out the open window. "And I have something to tell you."

"What's that?" Grimmjow spoke after shutting the door.

There was no hiding from the music here. Ichigo took in a breath and-

"Ichigo!" someone called, but very faintly, effectively interrupting him. He recognized the voice from somewhere…

Pantera jumped down from the window and his bright blue eyes followed the two tiny spirits who had just flown in with sparkles in their wake.

Ichigo's eyes grew wide when Ayame and Shun'o flew over to him and hovered in the air.

"We're here by request of Orihime to heal someone's missing arm!" Shun'o said with a sunny smile.


	79. the spirit of rebirth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Whew, it's been a while. Sorry for the late update, but I reworked this part of the story a tad, so I have to connect things properly. Please enjoy the update, everyone! And thanks for the support so far, guys!

Awe-struck and wide-eyed, both Grimmjow and Pantera watched as the two spirits flew to opposite ends of Grimmjow's stubbed arm. One of them was positioned next to his shoulder, while the other had moved down next to his thigh. The sunset golden shield that appeared near rivaled that of the sunlight coming in from the windows.

Grimmjow could feel his heart pounding like a sledgehammer in his chest as slowly but surely his arm began regenerating out of thin air under the spirits' magical healing zone. He'd only seen this sort of thing once before, when Ulquiorra regenerated his own arm after a battle he'd fought and damn near lost. But to witness it now, as he felt himself becoming whole again, was another thing entirely.

Not a second passed during the healing process that he didn't feel thoughts rushing to the forefront of his mind about reclaiming his position among the Espada, and from there, ascending the throne in Las Noches…

His blue eyes found their way to Kurosaki, strangely enough. He was standing there watching almost as if this was no big deal. It seemed what he'd promised him at the oasis, and what he continually reiterated he could do for Grimmjow since, was no joke. Grimmjow averted his gaze when Kurosaki's eyes met his own.

"Almost done…" Shun'o said as he watched the last bits of Grimmjow's hand begin forming.

Ayame remained quiet, observing Grimmjow subtly. She and the other spirits of the Shun Shun Rikka knew this person was the source of much of Orihime's mental turmoil since the day Rukia and Renji were delivered to her by the gypsy girl, Nelliel. The fact that she had sent them here to heal his arm was just a testament to her kind nature, as well as her fondness and care for Ichigo, who begged this favor of her.

"There we go." The blond spirit said as Grimmjow's arm was fully restored. "Good as new!"

Grimmjow lifted his newly-restored arm and looked it over in awe. He stretched his fingers out and turned his hand back and forth for a bit, feeling like this was too good to be true. Every hair on his arm, every vein in his hand, even the random freckles he remembered, all of it was back; here again as though it had never been missing in the first place. His fingernails were even clipped as he'd last done before his arm was severed.

This was unbelievable!

Ichigo watched Grimmjow bawl his hand into a fist and roll his shoulder around, clearly awestruck.

"I kept my promise." He smiled when he spike.

Grimmjow met his gaze, but couldn't offer any words.

"If there's nothing else, we need to return to Orihime." Shun'o said, flying over to Ichigo.

"Don't think so… We should be all good. Thank you for your help, Shun'o and Ayame." The orange-head briefly bowed to them.

Grimmjow watched the spirits fly in circles around Kurosaki for a moment, wondering if he should snatch them for keeps. Who knew how useful their power could be in upcoming battles…?

But they had just done him a great favor, so he thought better of it and allowed them to exit from the window whence they came.

Right after they left, Kurosaki made his way over to him and touched his arm.

"Told you I would get it back for you." he said, rubbing it gently.

Grimmjow was not particularly amused, though he was still grateful. However, there was something else to address…

Before he could say or do anything, a knocking came at his door. And, _of course_ , the gypsy rudely came in with two children waiting out in the hallway.

"Hey guys! We're ready, and have been waiting patiently! That devil beard guy said it's time for us to get going." Nel told them. "Am I… interrupting something?" she asked as Ichigo slowly removed his hand from Grimmjow's arm.

"Nope. Nothing at all." The orange-head assured her.

"OH, YOU GOT YOUR ARM BACK!" Nel nearly shrieked. "CONGRATULATIIIOOONSS!"

"Guess it's… time to go home…" Ichigo commented with an unmistakably disappointed tone. He headed to the doorway and turned, waiting for Grimmjow and Pantera.

Grimmjow watched as Pantera walked on by him to meet Kurosaki, noting the panther's attachment to him. Since when did he take orders from Kurosaki?

Silently, he followed after the lot of them.

The trip through the compound to the main courtyard was a rather long walk. Nel and Jinta complained a good bit of the way there. However, upon arrival at sunlit destination, the redhead was shocked to see none other than Kisuke Urahara standing in the center of it eating cotton candy.

"Y—you! What are you doing here?!" Jinta asked. Pure confusion and a dash of concern were evident in his voice.

Urahara, the eccentric and humble candy shop owner gave a grin. His eyes were hidden beneath his long blonde bangs, and even more hidden under the shadow cast by the striped hat he sported. Everything about him screamed commoner to Grimmjow. His posture wasn't anything to note. His clothing was a simple green gi and wooden slippers with elevated soles. He was unshaven and his hair wasn't combed or styled. Frankly, he looked like he could use a bath.

Even so, something about him was peculiar… Like he was more important than his demeanor might suggest…

"Well hello my little tykes." Urahara greeted. "And Ichigo! It's been a while!"

"We were here because Jinta wanted to come." Ururu quickly commented, then turned away so as not to see her accomplice staring daggers at her.

"Who is looking after the shop? Did you two just leave Tessai to do it? That's a mean thing to do." The man said.

Grimmjow watched him closely, still unable to figure out what it was about him that was so off-putting.

"Urahara-san, I wasn't expecting to see you here." Ichigo admitted. "But it's good to see you again."

"Yep. I was in the area and heard you were too… along with some misplaced workers of mine." Urahara said with a smile. "Thought I'd visit you since I missed you back in Seireitei. You've been around, huh?"

"You could say that." Ichigo grinned. "Oh! Ah, this is Nelliel, Pantera, and Grimmjow. They've been with me on this trip, and I couldn't have made it here without their help."

"Pleasure to meet you all. I've heard about this one." Urahara commented, referring to Grimmjow.

Grimmjow took offense to that, but Kurosaki continued speaking with this peasant.

"I noticed Ichibe-san isn't here to see us off…" Ichigo observed.

"Nope. He let me take the task of escorting you all to Seireitei. Well… you and Jinta and Ururu. There weren't any specifications about your lovely friend, the large panther, or the escapee."

Ichigo turned to them. "You don't have to come back with me-"

"I think it'll be fun to see your home… you know, when you're actually there in it and not trying to run away from it." Nel interrupted with a smile.

Ichigo shook his head, ignoring her obvious callback to the day he ran off after saving Grimmjow from execution. He turned to Grimmjow. In his chest, he felt his heart beating like crazy. "You don't… you know… you don't have to come with us. You can go home if you want. I know Seireitei hasn't been the most ideal place for you… And I know you promised me a date there-"

"What?!" Nel was nearly floored. " _Grimmjow_ did?! I can't believe that!"

Grimmjow rolled his eyes. "I'm going. It is on my way home, after all. Plus, there is something you and I need to _chat_ about."

Ichigo didn't like the emphasis or the undertones that last statement carried, but he nodded in agreement. "Sure…" after that, he turned to Urahara. "I guess we're ready."

"Good. I'll use a portal to get us out of here and on the road again. Gather 'round, kiddos." Urahara said.

As they all came in closer, Ichigo turned to Nel. "Are Kon and Chile in your bag or something? I haven't seen either of them..."

"Ah, Kon yes. Chile, no." Nel admitted, then gave a slightly pained and embarrassed look. "I meant to tell you before we left, but I kind of… don't know where he went!"

"WHAT?!" Ichigo shouted. The second he did, Urahara slammed his cane on the ground and opened a portal of light beneath their feet, teleporting them out of the Capital City.

* * *

"It's been quite a lively time here in the Capital." Senjumaru observed as she sat comfortably on the large balcony of the Zero Division's compound, with a view that overlooked the city.

Kirio munched on some gummy candy and swallowed before speaking. "I agree. With those kids coming here and causing such a stir, and the Spring Festival about to begin, things have been more hectic than usual."

The Spring Festival was one of the four seasonal festivals held by the Capital, and even Seireitei, every year. The idea behind this festival was to welcome the spring through celebration. Everyone was encouraged to plant trees and flowers and take care of the earth as it found new life after the winter.

Even a large fire was going to be lit in the center of the city, set to burn for a full day to welcome the season with warmth and fervor. The city was being decorated with banners, flowers, and even cherry blossoms were beginning to bloom.

"It's too bad Kurosaki and his friends couldn't stay for it." Senjumaru said as she marveled at the sight of the jovial people below.

"I don't think they knew about it." Kirio told her.

"Really?"

"Well, most people from Seireitei don't know what goes on in the Capital because we keep things so secret here… Someday, maybe that might change. But even so, he'll be able to take part in Seireitei's festival." Kirio tried to imagine he would have a good time. "And hopefully his desert prince will enjoy it with him. He seems so high-strung, that one…"

"True." Senjumaru grinned. "It's crazy that we got to witness what appears to be a beautifully complicated union of Seireitei and Las Noches between those two. Or, should I say rare and unexpected…"

"There's always been tension with Las Noches because they were born of treason from the heart of Seireitei. Things did seem to be stabilizing, but they may soon be going to war with each other…" Kirio hoped it wouldn't come to that. She would someday want to see the desert kingdom, Las Noches, in its full splendor. Not reduced to ashes and waste by war's hand.

Senjumaru was growing a little depressed. "Let's change the subject. We're too close to the festival to get bogged down in the external politics and whatnot."

"Very true."

"Is Inoue Orihime alright? I haven't seen her in a while."

Kirio nodded, "I think so. She doesn't seem very happy here. I can tell she's giving me fake smiles and assurance that she's adjusting… It might be hard for her to accept, but she truly is safest here with us."

"Maybe she'll enjoy the festival. Just, try to keep the guards from making her feel so… _guarded_."

"I'll see what I can do." Kirio said. "Let's _all_ try to enjoy this festival."

"Let's." the dark-haired captain agreed, and then snagged a few gummy candies right from under Kirio's nose.

* * *

_I love him. That's why I can trust him._

Those words cyclically echoed in Inoue's mind as she sat at her desk, attempting to write more into the letter she intended to send to Tatsuki. She hadn't actually written a single word, and had honestly just been staring out the window mostly…

Inoue had so much love for Ichigo. She had for as long as she could remember.

But he had fallen for someone else in the time they'd been apart. Someone she did not trust. Someone who she _only_ had unpleasant memories of. Someone who had attacked her home and left nothing but destruction where he'd once stood in it.

How could Ichigo see such good in a man like that? How could he fall in love with a man like that?

It felt like she might never get the answers to these questions, seeing how she was a permanent guest here…

Inoue hadn't cried about this.

The information Ichigo left her with hadn't broken her, though it did come as a major disappointment. She didn't really know _what_ to do with this knowledge.

The decision to heal that man's arm was not an easy one for her to make. But Ichigo had practically begged her to do it. He cared for him so much, she could tell. So she did it as a favor to him. After all, he had come all this way just to bring her home, risking his reputation and his life in the process.

When Ayame and Shun'o returned to her, they'd told her the deed was done and that Ichigo was happier for it.

It was all she could really do in her situation to bring a smile to his face.

Her silver-brown eyes moved back to the window. It was open, allowing a nice breeze into the room. But even if she tried to escape and catch Ichigo before he left, the guards would catch her. There were two stationed at the ground level of the building now, so even if she tried to escape by using her shield to break her fall again, they would intercept her.

All in all, she had to accept her place here. The one chance she had to leave had just been missed.

She was so deep in thought that she didn't see something shoot into her room through the window and burst into flames on her bed. It was so sudden that she turned and could do nothing but nearly fall out of her chair from the sight.

Inoue jumped from her chair to investigate, scared that something terrible was happening. As the flames died out on her sheets, she noticed a small bird sitting itself upright and scared.

"What… what is this…?" she breathed out.

Chile stared up at Inoue, ignoring the throbbing pain from the scratch on his back. "I'm Chile; Ichigo's spirit animal. And I'm here-here to help you." he groaned.

* * *

In broad daylight, an unlikely pair walked a quiet road that weaved and carried on into the vast mountain range. Both were silent, having little to nothing to discuss. Emerald eyes were focused on the road ahead, while golden ones took note of everything but.

It didn't seem like there was much to pay mind to besides the trees, open areas of tall grass, and mountains. But apparently there _was_.

"I should have turned back when I got my seasonal teas." Szayel-Apporo said, breaking what felt like eons of silence that had grown between himself and his counterpart.

"Why didn't you? Your role on this venture is over now." Ulquiorra stated flatly, not even bothering to look at the other.

"If you _must_ know, I'm curious about what Tousen and Ichimaru told you to find all the way out here. I shouldn't even have to tell you that."

"Do you think discovering that would boost your chances at becoming King?" the Cuatro Espada asked, genuinely curious.

Szayel-Apporo chuckled. "Of course not. I have no interest in being a king, anyway. Then I'd be in the public eye at almost every waking minute. Everything I did would be broadcast, and I have too much I'd rather the public not know about. Who wants that life? Unless, of course, I remodeled our kingdom to match the one up there." He pondered the idea of their kingdom remodel as he stared at the far-off, floating kingdom they initially seemed to be heading towards, but had now veered off course from. "Are you doing this for recognition?"

Ulquiorra finally turned his gaze to meet his comrade's. "Not at all. I was asked to complete a task, so that's what I will do. Not everyone is like Grimmjow, Yammy, and Zommari; hungry for attention and acknowledgement as if that would increase their chances of being selected for kingship when none of them are _fit_ to lead. If the crown was passed to me, it wouldn't be because I acted out to obtain it."

"Hmm, I expected that answer from _you_ , you know."

"I'm aware. I know you just as well as you think you know me."

Szayel-Apporo sighed, "I wish one of them had come with us. At least it would have been livelier. You're as dull as a doorknob."

"…" Ulquiorra offered no rebuttal.

"I wonder if Seireitei would care that we're in these lands." The pink-haired man reflected on past events that were frankly quite amusing to watch unfold. After everything Grimmjow did, them being in these lands that were perfectly situated between Seireitei and the High Palace was practically like walking to the guillotine and dropping the blade themselves.

Of course, neither Szayel nor Ulquiorra were aware that Grimmjow had been pardoned for his actions, and was no longer _officially_ at large in Seireitei.

"You talk too much." Ulquiorra remarked as he walked.

"Says the man with less social appeal than a cadaver… Aha, oops, did I say that out loud?"

"Enough babbling. Eyes forward." Ulquiorra said.

"Oooh, if _only_ you'd tell me where we're even going."

"…" Ulquiorra let out a tiny sigh. He should have left Szayel-Apporo in that tea shop when he had the chance…

Truly, a more unlikely pair was hard to find.


	80. lighting fires where you step

"Sōten Kisshun, I reject." Inoue spoke quietly as she directed Ayame and Shun'o to where Chile was settled on her bed.

The spirits manifested a barrier large enough to encompass Chile and the areas that he'd burnt with his fire when he darted into the room. Slowly but surely, the scratch running down his back healed, and the blackened, crisped spots in the room returned to their former states.

"Can you tell me how you got that scratch on your back?" the redhead asked.

"I got into a tangle with a cat while trying to find you." the phoenix replied.

Inoue watched the glow of her power, glad that she could help Ichigo yet again. "What are you doing here? Why were you trying to find me?"

Chile looked out the window for a moment before responding. "As Ichigo's Spirit Animal, I can understand his thoughts and emotions better than anyone he knows. I can tell his greatest wishes, what upsets him, and what makes him happy. Helping Grimmjow did seem to make him happier; I could feel it. But he was very upset that he was unable to bring you home. He's been wanting to for a long time… Probably longer than the time I've known him... So I couldn't just sit back and do nothing when I found out he had to leave you here."

"You wanted to tell me what he was going through so he could have some solace?" Inoue asked. She knew they were torn apart rather abruptly, and he hadn't the time to fully convey all that he probably wanted to. They didn't even have a proper goodbye.

"It's true. I did want to tell you these things." Chile said, "But more than that… I am here to help you _escape_." He said.

The girl felt her heartbeat pounding strongly for a moment at that proposition. She was a little wary of the idea of escaping, considering her capture when she'd done so earlier to see Ichigo. And Ichigo himself was gone now, too.

"I couldn't ask you to do that." She denied the offer, knowing it was the responsible thing to do. "If something happened to you because of me… I wouldn't be able to forgive myself."

"I'm sorry, miss. But I won't leave here without you. I have to help Ichigo whenever I can. Doing this will make him happier. Do you want him to be depressed when he gets back to Seireitei?"

"Where would you even take me if you were to free me? If I were to return to Seireitei, wouldn't they just return me here?"

A good question to be raised. Inoue was overly aware of her station, and the consequences that might involve her abandoning it.

"I don't know yet. But Ichigo will know where you could go. He's been all over the world trying to get here. There's surely somewhere you could go to be… free. Do you want to spend the rest of your life as a bird in a cage?"

Inoue took in a sharp breath. She averted her gaze to the floor and sighed. "Of course not." She said.

"We can worry about the rest of the story later. For now, if we can get you away from here, we can go from there." Chile smiled.

For a moment, Inoue believed someday she could return home. The only reason she was sent here in the first place was to be protected from vague, hypothetical plans that Las Noches royalty might have had that involved her. But taking into account what had just occurred here—a Las Noches prince entering and exiting the capital almost entirely freely and without consequence—she wondered if relations were growing stronger.

Moreover, it was the very person who had her kidnapped in the first place! He hadn't made any sort of aggressive moves or attempts on Inoue that warranted continued beliefs of there being treachery afoot.

Though, this didn't mean Inoue would ever place her life in his hands…

But Ichigo loved him and trusted him, and that said something to her.

"How would you get me out of here?" she asked.

Chile was glad to see his words had swayed her. "I'm not sure… But! I remember they were getting ready to light a fire in the center of town. If we could get away from here, I could use it to teleport us out of the city!"

Inoue was hesitant on the idea.

"Would I… would I be burned…?" she asked the little phoenix.

"Not with me!" Chile assured her.

Even if he wasn't able to protect her from the flames, Inoue was certain she could heal herself afterwards if harm should come to her. "Will you be able to carry me? I…" she grew warm in the face, "I've been eating a lot of sweets lately…"

"I can. I can use fire to enhance my flight! I learned it a few days ago when I was with Nelliel and the other two."

Now fully on board, Inoue nodded with a determined look on her face. This was it! Today, she was going to fly free!

* * *

"When I said I wanted to talk, I mostly meant to _Rukia_." Renji said, attempting to get Senna to vacate the area. They'd all migrated to the courtyard at the Court Guards' Headquarters and were near the large gazebo, and he'd assumed she would have some place to be once they arrived.

"I want to hear whatever you have to say (for once)." She whispered the last part under her breath. "Seems like you've got some tea to spill?"

"I do, but it doesn't involve _you_ , little girl."

"Renji, focus. I'm sure whatever you have to say, you can say it in front of Senna." Rukia told him, annoyed that the discussion of whatever the matter was had not begun already.

"God…!" Renji rolled his eyes. "Fine."

When he turned and faced Rukia, Senna flipped him the birdie and stuck her tongue out at him.

"What do you know about Grimmjow Jaegerjaques?" Renji asked.

"That violent former Espada prince? Not a lot... Other than the fact that he seems to have some influence on Ichigo's actions. We know Ichigo left the city after him despite having been assaulted by him at least twice prior…" she tried connecting the dots, but she didn't have enough information to go on. "Am I missing something?"

"A long time ago…" the redhead began, "I… I was in the dungeons watching him while he was locked away. Ichigo stopped by to visit him, and he said something that I always thought _he_ should confess to us… but the situation has forced my hand."

"And what did you hear him say?"

"He basically admitted that he was in love with that guy." He said, then took a moment to let the girls absorb the information. "And I think he might really be. He was very kind to him when he had no cause to be. He chased after him when he escaped execution, which I'm pretty sure he had a hand in. He fetched his sword for him. He absconded with him and has been away from the kingdom for weeks…"

"Ohh, big word." Senna commented under her breath.

Renji continued, "I think Ichigo might abandon us for-"

"Enough." Rukia interrupted. The redhead looked confused, so she continued, "You and Senna both need to have a bit more faith in Ichigo. You think he would betray us all just for a man like that?"

"To be fair, I might." Senna interjected. "That dude is on new level of fire when it comes to hotness."

"…Putting _Senna_ aside, Ichigo has a good head on his shoulders and a good heart beating in his chest. He wouldn't just abandon us. We're his friends. His family is here. His _whole life_ is here."

Renji shook his head. "Do you know he and that guy were taken in by the Capital already?"

"I didn't know." Rukia admitted.

"They were. And Ichigo apparently had an audience with the King to pardon that guy for all the shit he did. For putting holes in you and me. For kidnapping him and keeping him prisoner. For invading our home. For kidnapping Inoue. For destroying the better part of an entire district and killing innocent bystanders in the process. _Ichigo asked for a pardon for all of that_."

Violet eyes were slightly widened. "And the final decision?"

Renji stared at the ground with contempt. "They did it. They pardoned the son of a bitch. The Capital claimed he did no true wrong by them. And they also wanted us to foster positive relations with Las Noches by forgiving him, rather than acting against them and inciting war. We were mere seconds away from decapitating him the last time he was here!"

Senna moved so she wasn't behind Renji anymore. "Maybe it's not such a bad thing. If that guy becomes king over there, then maybe-"

"No, there are no _maybes_. We need to make Ichigo come to his senses when he comes home. If he even plans to come back."

"Renji, listen." Rukia began, placing a firm hand on his shoulder. "I'm a little disappointed you think Ichigo would so easily flit from side to side in this matter. He _will_ come home. He will probably try to bring that guy here again someday, especially if they have something between them. I know things have been tense. And I know that guy wronged us on many occasions, but… fighting him, especially when he has been pardoned, would be an act of war. _Believe me_ when I say it's not easy to hear all this after everything that happened, I was there when we thought it was the end!. But we have to move forwards, not dwell in the past. This could be our only chance for true _peace_."

"…" Renji offered no further objections.

"Are you jealous of that guy or something?" Senna asked.

Rukia released Renji's shoulder and let him think things over. She didn't comment on Senna's question, seeing no reason to…

"Not now, Senna." Renji stated, not even bothering to look at her.

"Please, Renji, try to be positive." The raven-haired woman advised and implored as she took her leave. Senna followed after her, leaving their comrade to his thoughts.

"Are you sure that was wise?" Senna asked when they were out of earshot.

"Yeah. Renji will be okay. We'll all be okay." She said, doing that thing that Inoue had observed about Ichigo a long time ago. "We all will." She truly hoped they would, at least.

* * *

It had been a while since Urahara had teleported himself and the others out of the Capital. The group was currently making their way down the main road that would lead them back to Seireitei. Jinta was the first to ask why he hadn't just teleported them back to Seireitei, or at least closer to it, and Urahara admitted he didn't want the Captains there to know how he was able to get around so freely.

Grimmjow had already pieced it together that this was the owner of that secret entrance Kurosaki used to sneak him into the shitty kingdom just before he was taken by their Captains. He wondered just what kind of man this was to move about so vigilantly and easily…

Nel was a few paces behind Ichigo, wondering what she should say to him. She felt incredibly bad that she lost sight of Chile, and she did hope he would find his way back to them soon… It was odd that he even took off like that without any sort of heads up.

"Ichigo… are you still mad at me…?" she asked.

Ichigo looked over his shoulder, "I'm not mad. I was never mad. I'm just… wondering what happened to him is all." He told her.

Certainly, Chile wouldn't be in too much danger in the Capital. They'd likely launch an investigation into whom he was and where he came from _if_ they managed to locate and detain him. So Ichigo wasn't incredibly concerned, but that didn't mean he thought it was a good thing that he just disappeared like that.

"Kon, you know anything? Did he say anything to you?" Nel asked Kon, who was riding on Ururu's shoulder ahead of Ichigo.

"Nope. But maybe he went to see Orihime." The little lion suggested.

"That would make sense…" Nel agreed, "Maybe he wanted to get the point across that you really did try to bring her home." she aimed her statement at Ichigo.

"Hey kiddos." Urahara began, "I'm in the mood for camping. We can set up a campsite in the forest down there." He said, staring out at the expansive forestlands below. Seireitei was actually on the horizon, likely no more than a day's trip (if that).

Urahara might not have been physically as fast as Soi-Fon, but he could set navigation points in various desired locations and arrive in just as quickly a manner as she could, if not sooner. He smiled at the thought of her realizing she wasn't the fastest traveler Seireitei had to offer. This, of course, would never happen because he would never reveal his secrets to her, or any of the Captains for that matter.

"I brought stuff for smores, by the way." He told them, assuming they'd all be ecstatic about it. He didn't even look over his shoulder to see the lot of them grinning from ear to ear at the idea of his goodies.

~O~

"Don't you think it's creepy to camp _in_ the woods?" Jinta asked Urahara—who was fanning himself and overseeing the camp setup operation—as he finished setting up one of the tents they'd be using.

"With all these strong fighters around, I don't think we have anything to worry about." The scruffy man commented calmly.

"Surely you don't mean Jinta, though." A passing Kon slighted, and then dodged when a hatchet came flying his way.

"I'm still pretty shocked you two came all this way out here. Care to tell me what was worth that little adventure?" Urahara continued.

Jinta felt his heart skip a beat, "We were just bored is all…" he lied.

Ururu arrived, carrying a bucket of water. "It was something special, I think." She mumbled, just loud enough to be heard over the gentle winds and creatures of the evening.

Urahara's gaze moved from the three of them to the others, down near the lake. He wondered just when Ichigo had become such a cunning young man to slip around the way he had, harboring one of Seireitei's biggest criminals since Sosuke Aizen's treacherous departure.

He observed him carefully, still seeing the innocent and brash young man he once knew. But even so, there was something else there now to be identified; something much more mature and careful, yet somehow still lighthearted. The way he interacted with the gypsy girl was interesting for sure, though he wasn't sensing anything deeper there than a genuine friendship between them.

This, compared to the way he approached and interacted with the prince, was something to note. Urahara could tell the mysterious desert dweller was hiding something, and seemed fairly calculating and cold. It was odd that Ichigo was drawn to someone like this, because even his most calculating companion, Ishida Uryu, was occasionally a lively and humorous young lad. This man had an aura about him that spoke to darker, malicious, and even evil depths…

He was glad when it seemed Ichigo could read him. Urahara hadn't seen the prince offer many words, even though Ichigo had spoken many to him. Perhaps he was upset about something? It may have been the case, because Ichigo took leave from him and looked over his shoulder briefly after making it halfway up the hill with the gypsy.

 _A lover's quarrel._ Urahara grinned behind his fan, shocked that Ichigo had come to be involved with someone like that; someone under Aizen's command to boot.

Despite this incredibly juicy morsel, he was genuinely curious about how Ichigo would make something like this work, especially if they ever came to war. Surely, Las Noches would take kindly to the safe release of their prince by Seireitei's good graces. But that gave no true guarantees of the future, especially with Aizen being their king.

"Thanks for catching dinner!" he said as Ichigo and Nel arrived with several catfish caught in a net.

"It was easy with this thing." Nel said, heading over to the center of camp where the campfire was being built.

Ichigo seemed to notice something and headed over to Urahara. "Is there something wrong? You're giving me creepy looks."

"Oh, no. I'm just taking note of you and your new friends, is all." The blonde replied.

The younger man averted his gaze. "Don't do things like that." He commented as he walked over to Nel, who was standing perfectly in the sunset's light peaking through the openings in the leaves.

"Ururu! Can you build us a fire?" Urahara asked.

"Oh, of course." The girl obliged.

"Fish and smores?" Nel raised an eyebrow as she started skewering the fish with a thin stick.

"We'll just have to make do." Ichigo smiled. "It's camping, after all."

* * *

Once the sun had almost gone completely, bathing the sky in darker tones and stars sprinkled here and there, the time had come to light the fire in the central area of the festival in the Capital. Despite their efforts, it seemed the kindling would not catch the sparks they were making. Someone had even brought a lit torch and attempted to light it, to no avail.

"What is going on over here?" the chairman asked as he fumed his way over. "Light the fire already."

"We're trying!" a worker said. He looked around and noticed all the eyes of the festival-goers were on them. "The wood is a little damp… I don't know what happened to get them that way, but we can't light the fire this way."

The chairman pinched the bridge of his nose. "How can all this wood be wet?" he asked.

There was wood for days here, and none of it would take the fire? It was perhaps a terrible omen, but that was the least of their concerns. This display was the centerpiece of the festivities and they _had_ to get it going.

"What's going on over there?" Oetsu asked as he took a bite of his shish kabob. He nearly fainted from the taste that shook his taste buds in glorious delight.

Tenjiro ran a comb through his hair a few times as he watched them struggle to light the fire. "Won't be having a fire this year, from the looks of it. It's probably a bad omen considering what recently transpired here."

"You're gonna have to let that one go. It was a good thing we did; the king did, that is." The other man said.

"Let it-" Tenjiro stopped mid-sentence as he noticed a fire falling from the sky. "What the hell?" he squinted.

"This was not what i had in mind!" Inoue's arms were firmly wrapped around Chile's neck as the phoenix vigorously flapped his flamed wings. Her orange hair nearly matched the strongly burning fire as it whipped about in the wind. She was shocked the whole time as she felt no burns, and no heat even though it was fully enveloping her body.

"Almost there!" Chile said as his fall became more of a dive. His eyes narrowed as he dove into the firewood in the center of the festival.

The resulting flames tore in all four directions, lighting the fire that would not be lit by ordinary means. As the fire breathed and grew, the crowds erupted into a joyous and thunderous applause. The worker who had been unable to light the fire shed a tear of relief and felt a weight lifted from his shoulders.

With the fire dancing against the evening sky, the Spring Festival had officially begun!

* * *

Ichigo sat staring at the crackling fire for a while after the others had called it a day. He sighed as he felt the weight of his situation coming back to the forefront of his mind. Not only was Seireitei half a day's journey away, but he had to try to figure out a way to make everything work out somehow.

Even if Grimmjow said he would visit, his departure was inevitable. Grimmjow hated being in Seireitei with a passion. He reiterated this point at every opportunity.

On top of that, he was also being distant and cold…

Introducing him to his friends and family would be no walk in the park. Explaining himself to his friends for his actions was an even bleaker task he had before him.

His thoughts were running wild with all that had transpired. And he was left here, in this moment, the sum of it all.

He closed his eyes and breathed carefully. There was truly nothing he could do but press on bravely, as he had been doing this whole time. That's all there was to it.

After getting up, he made his way to Grimmjow's tent and crawled into it. There, he found Grimmjow lying on his back with his hands connected behind his head in the darkness.

"Hey." He said as he lay down beside him, leaving a few inches between them. He'd left the tent entrance parted the tiniest bit to allow the light from the fire to come in. He'd have to remember to put it out later, if it didn't die on its own before he went to sleep, that is.

Grimmjow's dimly glowing eyes met his, and he felt unease where he normally didn't…

"Is there something you want to talk about?" he asked. He'd had far more than enough of this unexplained tension between them.

"Is there?" Grimmjow asked, refusing to break eye contact.

"I'm asking _you_. You've been acting so… distant and cold to me. Is there something you want to tell me?" Ichigo asked this question, and he wasn't surprised when he received no response.

However, when Grimmjow pounced on top of him and pinned his hands over his head, his eyes couldn't have gone wider.

Grimmjow used his heavier frame to his advantage as he sat on top of Ichigo. He sniffed him a few times and looked him up and down. "Did you fuck that woman?" he asked.

Ichigo's brows knitted and he took in a breath.

That's what this was about?

"You're a fucking idiot, Grimmjow! Get off of me!" he hissed.

"Answer the question!" Grimmjow ordered.

"Why the hell are you so _jealous_?! Haven't I told you time and time again that I only want you?"

"Prove it." Grimmjow said as he squeezed Ichigo's hands tightly and held them in place with one of his own, then used his other to run it down the smaller man's body.

"Rrggh!" Ichigo grunted.

This was not happening again! He bucked underneath Grimmjow, offering nothing but resistance. It was time to let him know he couldn't just act any way he wanted and get to indulge in his demented idea of sex that was little more than a power struggle he convinced himself he'd won.

Sure, Ichigo had more or less accepted Grimmjow's behaviors in the past, and he admitted long ago that he loved him in spite of them. But to have the courage to stand up to someone you love when they abuse you and use you is an important step to progressing to a better relationship. Enough was enough!

He was not someone to be manipulated like this anymore.

He was not that prisoner in Las Noches anymore.

His feelings were not to be played against him anymore!

Tonight, that story was concluding.

Small white wings flooded from underneath Ichigo, as he used what little energy he had built up to summon this power. He forced himself up, and Grimmjow off of him.

The wings once used to overwhelm him in battle, then to ultimately save him back with those foul insects… he never could have expected he'd use them like this.

"That's enough of your petty jealousies, Grimmjow! I've had as much as I can take!" he spoke with more conviction than he'd ever directed at Grimmjow, but not so loud that he would disturb the others. "If I have to constantly defend myself and how I feel about you because of your insecurities, then why should I stay with you?" Ichigo's heated feelings could be seen sprawled on his face in a display of hurt and anger and disapproval. "After all you've done—after you shamelessly went after that woman in Crestown when you _knew_ how I felt about you, you have the nerve to even bring infidelity up to me! I've done so much for you, and all you do is take and take and take from me, use me, distrust me, and it's not fair! Open your damn eyes to the truth, Grimmjow. You might realize and accept, someday, that I'm the one who would go the furthest for you in this world." He said as he got up and left the man in the tent by his lonesome.

Pantera, who'd been resting up in one of the trees, watched Ichigo storm out of Grimmjow's tent, dump a bucket of water onto the fire, and then head to Nel's tent.

He wondered what happened between them this time…

Nel was shocked awake when she felt someone crawl into her tent and plop down beside her. She was about to throw her fists at them until she realized it was Ichigo. His back was turned to her, and she could tell he was upset.

"Ichigo?" she said groggily.

"Nel, I'm really sorry to wake you. I just need… to sleep in here tonight…" Ichigo said.

The gypsy could hear the hint of pain in his voice. She wondered what Grimmjow had done this time.

"It's fine, dear." Nel wrapped an arm over the man's torso and held him as he cooled off into a deep sleep.

After a while, she moved her hand up and stroked his hair gently. Hopefully he'd feel better in the morning.

She couldn't help but wonder if Grimmjow was worth the mental anguish… A thought she was all too familiar with.

* * *

" _Streets or guns inside the hands of all your birds. And tyranny is often found within your words._ _Do you want me, do you want me here at all? I'm bound to notice when your back's against the wall."_ – Veronika Redd/Ark Patrol

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thanks for the continued support, everyone! Until next chapter! Take care!


	81. missed you

Waking up to Nel's ample bosom against his cheek wasn't something Ichigo ever really imagined would happen, even if he'd lived a five lifetimes with her following him. But somehow in the night, they wound up that way and stayed that way until morning light.

The memory was still with him hours later…

He threw a smile her way when she looked over her shoulder at him as the group headed down the hill; they'd gotten very close to Seireitei now. Urahara was leading the way with the teens on his heels, Nel and Kon were next in line a bit further back, then there was Ichigo behind them, and finally, Grimmjow and Pantera drawing up the rear. Even though Ichigo was a little curious about Grimmjow, since they hadn't spoken all morning, he didn't bother to look over his shoulder at him…

With Seireitei's borders drawing ever closer, he was becoming more and more concerned about the inevitable parting of the group. Without a doubt, he'd see Jinta and Ururu again. Probably within the next few days, even. Nel claimed she would be around a lot, and Ichigo wasn't fretting about her disappearing on him after all they'd been through.

Grimmjow, however, offered no such promises. He  _barely_  agreed to come to Seireitei again. For how long though, only heaven knew. And they'd been through the  _most_  together.

With Grimmjow came Pantera, and without Grimmjow came the lack of Pantera, naturally.

Ichigo hadn't forgotten how he told Grimmjow he intended to keep Pantera after this journey concluded. While he'd meant it back then, he had no way of making good on those words now... He still remembered how Grimmjow had scoffed at the idea and even called him insane for thinking it. If he recalled correctly, he'd said something along the lines of 'over my dead body', or at least implied as much. He'd been so dramatic about it that night…

The idea he'd had in saying he'd keep Pantera stemmed from the fact that Grimmjow didn't seem to appreciate him or show him love like Ichigo and his family could. And while Pantera never seemed to complain about that, it wasn't uncommon for someone to quietly endure a less than ideal relationship when they truly loved the other person involved.

"…" Ichigo still had to figure that out. For now, he had to settle for treating the panther with kindness and love whenever he could.

Despite his concern, he didn't consider that love was shown in different ways and a loving relationship can be subjective; especially for someone on the outside looking in. Nel had called his own relationship with Grimmjow out several times, in fact…

Shifting thoughts a little, he wondered if Grimmjow would keep his word about coming to see his home after what happened last night. And home, he truly was. After what felt like an eternity of being away, his inevitable return was only just before his eyes.

The air was light and fresh, just as he always remembered it. Even the sunlight danced across the immense kingdom. Perhaps it had something do with the spring coming into season, but from first glance, the kingdom just seemed very much  _alive_.

It was good to see it in such a state, considering the chaos Ichigo had last seen it in…

"You guys are being awfully quiet back there!" Urahara commented from the lead, not even bothering to look over his shoulder. "We're almost home now, cheer it up! Get excited!"

"It'll be nice to see Ichigo's home… You know, when there's not a giant horde of birds attacking it." Nel noted. "By the way, is there any room for me at your house?" she asked, turning about face to look at Ichigo and walking backwards to keep up the pace.

Urahara answered in Ichigo's stead, "You're more than welcome to use one of our spare rooms."

"I'd really advise against that." Kon muttered.

"What was that?" Jinta squinted at the plushie.

"I said nothing sounds better than that!" Kon shouted, then sweatdropped. This touchiness had to be a redhead thing. Ichigo, Abarai, and this kid were all that way. Luckily at least one redhead was kind to him, even though she was caged like a bird in a kingdom miles away now.

"Ichigo." The blond leader called.

"Yea?"

"Is your family going to be okay with your friend and his large cat visiting?"

Ichigo paused for a moment before replying, "I guess. We'll find out… if he's even gonna wanna meet them." he mumbled the last part.

Urahara noted his less than enthused response, yet didn't say anything about it. "Oh look, we've arrived at the gate already!" he said, then hurried over to the guard in the station.

The others watched as he seemed to explain things to the guard, and a resulting call to allow passage was made.

Grimmjow and Pantera caught up with the others, and when they did, Ichigo turned but didn't exactly face them. He more or less turned in their direction so perhaps a dialogue could begin about any possible plans. If he spoke to Grimmjow first, he'd be giving him the power after what transpired between them last night…

Then again, the chances of Grimmjow just ignoring him and carrying on to Las Noches was more likely if he didn't push at all…

"Do you two have plans or something?" Nel asked, breaking the fairly uncomfortable silence. "If not, I'll be glad to have an actual tour of the town by everyone's favorite strawberry."

Ichigo played like he was annoyed, but inwardly he was thanking Nel for breaking the tension. To mention them having any possible plans was pure genius, and just what he needed.

"We did…" the orange-head began, then casually glanced in Grimmjow's direction, "But I don't know if he'll keep his word."

Grimmjow offered no comment. He simply scoffed and averted his gaze to  _anywhere_  but the two. He could have easily encouraged a sign from Kurosaki that he was still latching onto him tightly. However, Pantera started on after Kurosaki and the gypsy and those kids when they made their way over to that blond buffoon in green, effectively dashing that plan and making the decision for him.

Reluctantly, he followed them.

Since when had Kurosaki grown a fucking spine like this, he wondered.

"You should be fine to enter our fair kingdom without incident this time, Your Majesty." Urahara said from behind his fan as the bluenette approached the gate.

Grimmjow passed him without a word, and kept his wits about him as he entered Seireitei kingdom once more. The second he passed through the large gateway though, he felt his stomach turning…

Ahead, Kurosaki was escorting Nelliel, while those kids seemed to have taken their leave.

"Where did you grow up? Where'd you go to school? You have to show me all the places you have a deep connection to!" Nel insisted excitedly. It was as if she were Kurosaki's love interest, and not Grimmjow.

"I will." Ichigo said. "But later, if you don't mind."

Nel sighed, "I guess I've become a third wheel… Better occupy myself with shopping. Where're the clothing outlets?!"

"The mall? It's in the entertainment district. That's more or less on the way to my house-"

"I can find it on my own." The gypsy assured him, then gave him a warm hug.

Grimmjow saw her whisper something in his ear, but he was too far away to hear even with his heightened senses. Surely she was aware of that… Whatever it was, it was probably irrelevant, anyway.

"C'mon, Pantera. You and I are gonna have some fun!" Nel called, "I'll meet you guys in a little while, kay?" she said as she split ways with Ichigo with Pantera at her heels.

Ichigo watched her go on her way, then turned in Grimmjow's direction when she was gone. Still, he didn't say anything to the man. Even so, he couldn't help but feel like everything and everyone was somehow obscured by him as he approached under the bright sunlight.

"Enough with the games, Kurosaki. It's fucking annoying." The Arrancar rolled his eyes and stopped a few feet shy of the shorter man.

"I just didn't want you to think I wasn't serious last night." Brown eyes were staring with considerable conviction in them.

This encouraged a smirk from Grimmjow, "I can recognize your little tantrums and differentiate the serious ones from the bullshit."

"…" Ichigo smacked Grimmjow on the shoulder, "Let's just go." He said.

"Where to? Am I gonna wind up in a dungeon again?"

"If anyone puts you there, it'll probably be to isolate you from the general public since you're such a psychopath…" Ichigo slighted.

"And yet… you still love me. That's  _so_  craaazyyy." Grimmjow said.

"I hate you so much…"

The bluenette snickered at the shorter man's response. Without another word, he allowed Kurosaki to escort him through the kingdom he once loathed, and still did to some degree, wondering where they were going.

* * *

After rounding the corner that led to his humble little candy shop, Urahara was pleasantly surprised to see Renji and Rukia waiting at the front door. They'd probably just used the buzzer, since they were facing the doors expectantly.

He wondered when the last time he'd seen either of them was… particularly Rukia, since he had near forcibly recruited Renji to occasionally work at the shop doing repairs and things of the like some time ago.

Of course, now that Ichigo was back, it made sense that they'd be here. He certainly had an interesting habit of bringing people together.

"I should be honored to have you two here visiting me. Anything I can do for you today?" he asked as he got closer, playing coy.

The duo turned.

"Hey there. Nice to see you again, Urahara-san." Rukia nodded and gave a small, pleasant smile. Her noble status never failed to shine through in social encounters.

"Urahara, where have you been? And where is Ichigo?" Renji asked, skipping the niceties. He didn't need to waste time, since Urahara probably already knew why he was here.

"Worried about little ol' me?" the blond asked, "S—senpai…" he said as he reached his door.

"Enough with the jokes. You're decades older than me, anyway."

The redhead was incredibly blunt today, Urahara noted.

"I've been around. I had some things to acquire, some people to visit, and it was nice to get out of the kingdom for a bit. As for Ichigo, he and his friends took off towards the factory district."

"Why would he need to go there?" Renji squinted.

"Beats me." After unlocking the doors, he made to go in. "Oh, by the way, Renji, someone is looking for you. You may want to stick around and have some tea."

"No thanks."

"Renji, don't be rude…" Rukia said as she pushed him into the shop after Urahara. "We can find Ichigo afterwards."

"Oh my, the place is so clean… I wonder if Tessai even needs help from the little tykes anymore." After nearly slipping on the newly waxed floor, Urahara exhaled deeply, "Or if he ever did to begin with…"

"Who's looking for me?" Renji asked. He had to admit, he was curious. Might as well make this forced visit more interesting.

"Fortune says a potential spark of love is in your future." Was the only response the older man gave.

"Enough with the jokes…"

Rukia wandered down the candy aisle and picked some things out, but that statement caught her attention considering Renji's romantic pursuits in the past...

* * *

"Kurosaki clinic," Grimmjow read the sign on the house Kursaki'd led him to aloud. " _You_  have a clinic? Wouldn't it be closed after all the time you've been gone?"

"It's a  _family_  clinic, not  _mine_  specifically." Ichigo corrected. "You only think that because you never call me by my first name."

"Hmh…"

Ichigo was more or less nervous about this. On one hand, everything could go incredibly well. On the other, they could not go so well. Despite all he'd been through, taking this step with Grimmjow was raising some red flags, and this was because he'd never brought anyone home to meet his family before—male or female. Regular sane civilian or destructive desert prince.

He was now aware of his heavier breathing and increased heartbeat… Telltale signs of anxiety for him.

They stood at the door for a while before he knocked. When he didn't hear anyone coming, he knocked again.

And in that moment, he realized his fatal mistake. It washed over him like a monsoon that his father was seldom the type to normally-

"ICHIGOOOOO! MY DARLING SON, YOU'VE COME HOOOOOMEEE!"

Ichigo only had a split second to realize his father had jumped from the roof with frying pans in-hand before he was knocked out of the way. After falling to the ground, he scrapped his elbow and threw a glare at the one who pushed him.

His father slammed onto the ground almost ceremoniously with his target effectively removed.

"I could have taken care of myself!" he shouted at Grimmjow, who shrugged and walked over to him casually, as if a raving lunatic wasn't damn near splattered on the ground a few feet away.

"Dad!" Ichigo expressed both concern and annoyance in his voice somehow.

"Ahahahaah! Ya don't need to worry about me!" Ishiin picked himself up off the ground turned to meet his son's eyes for the first time in a long time. "I'm glad to see you again, Ichigo. We've missed you." He said with a warm smile on his handsome, scruffy face.


	82. the family

"Hey, you sure you don't need medical attention?" Ichigo called into the kitchen after his father, who had made his way in there to fetch something for them to snack on.

He was sitting on the couch beside Grimmjow, who was busy looking around the place; probably noting how different it was from his own extravagant dwellings.

"I'm sure. I've suffered worse." Isshin assured him for the third time since his ungraceful meeting with the pavement happened. Rustling sounds came from the kitchen, and Ichigo was a bit nervous about his father's return into the room. While he hadn't actually admitted the nature of his and Grimmjow's bond, the inevitable reveal was mere moments away.

Finally emerging from the kitchen, Isshin brought in some coffee cake and coffee mugs on a tray. He'd made sure to grab some sugar cubes and creamer as well in case either of them needed it. Ichigo had been away for a while, but that wasn't why he didn't know how exactly his son took his coffee. The true reason was that some days, Ichigo opted to drink it black, and other days, he added things to it. There was never any consistency or any way to determine how he decided to drink it.

After setting the tray on the coffee table, the oldest in the room plopped down on the couch opposite the other two and stared at them.

Ichigo's ears and cheeks were turning in color, he noticed. His friend didn't react, nor did he take the invitation for an afternoon treat.

Feeling great unease, Ichigo busied himself with making his own coffee. He slipped four cubes in and then poured cream into it with a heavy hand. After stirring it and thinking it was ready, he took a sip from it. Four cubes had been enough.

"So, what are your intentions with my son?" Isshin broke the silence with his frank question, refusing to lose control of the room.

Ichigo coughed into his cup and had to quickly put it down from how much he was.

Grimmjow watched him coughing, not really bothering to offer assistance.

"Help me, you jerk…!" Ichigo coughed some more.

The bluenette sighed for a second, and then slapped the smaller man's back a few times with great force.

Once his fit of coughs subsided, Ichigo swatted the older man's hand away and looked at his father, "How did you know we were… well…"

"I know some things about you without you needing to tell me, Ichigo. Plus, I know you left the kingdom the same day this guy escaped execution. It's not hard to put two and two together." The older man felt pride in his deduction, "And I got confirmation from that kid captain with the white hair from what happened when you visited the capital…"

"Y—you didn't figure it out at all! You just got Hitsugaya to tell you!" Ichigo spat.

"I did, actually. Your old man is a Class A sleuth. Hitsugaya only gave me  _confirmation_  on what I already knew."

"…" Ichigo stared down at the metal tray, not sure what else to say. His father had effectively taken the tension out of the situation…

"I don't have many intentions." Grimmjow finally replied, then got a little more comfortable on the couch. "He's a pretty boy who can fight and has a sharp tongue... like a snake. I like that about him." He neglected to mention the more alluring things about Ichigo like how caring he was, how much he went out of his way for him, how lovesick he'd grown since Grimmjow initially snagged him…

"Is that a  _compliment_? Comparison to a snake?" Ichigo asked, squinting in disbelief.

"I also like slipping him the ol-"

"HEY, C'MON!" Ichigo stomped Grimmjow's foot to shut him up. While this did manage to do that, the bluenette also smirked that stupid smirk of his.

"No future plans?" Isshin asked.

Grimmjow simply shrugged, pulling his foot out of Ichigo's vicinity.

Ichigo wasn't particularly enthused to see such indifference still, but he knew deep down Grimmjow wanted to keep him around. He just wished he'd admit it more often.

"Wait, Dad, you know who Grimmjow is?" Ichigo asked.

Isshin nodded. "Of course. I'm actually shocked you made it through town with him."

"Why's that?"

"Well, 'cuz the public is very aware of who he is. Plus, you couldn't think the Captains would just let him in and out of here, huh?"

"I thought he was acquitted of all charges." The orange-head was confused.

Isshin leaned forward, "He was, but… he and his men caused a massive amount of damage to the district they visited. Loss of life, pain and suffering… If things are gonna get better between our kingdoms, he's going to have to at least show some sense of remorse for his actions. Why'd you even do that in the first place?"

Grimmjow closed his eyes and threw his head back, "I was trying to get your son here to come back with me to Las Noches."

"Oh?" a black eyebrow rose. "You beat him and nearly incited war to get him to go back with you…?"

"I'm sure Grimmjow has no problem talking to the Captains." Ichigo interjected before the conversation was steered towards the reasoning behind that whole catastrophe being revealed.

"Where's he gonna be staying?  _Is_  he staying? We can make up the guest room for him if your room is too small."

"My room is fine." Ichigo replied. "And he is staying." He stated commandingly in Grimmjow's direction.

Grimmjow met his gaze for a second before closing his eyes and smirking. Kurosaki was a-fucking-ddicted to his jock.

"By the way, where are Yuzu and Karin?"

Isshin got up and headed into the kitchen, "School." He said as if it was obvious. "You weren't gone for  _that_  long." He laughed a bit.

"Right…" Ichigo half turned, facing Grimmjow almost completely, to continue speaking to his father, "Are the Captains going to come here, do you know? Or-"

"They wanted Grimmjow to come visit before the festival starts."

"When does it start again…?"

"A few days from now. Though, I think it just started in the Capital. You must've just missed it." Isshin told him.

"And we're sure they won't try to execute him or imprison him…" the orange-head carefully pried.

"It's an order from the highest authority that he be allowed to enter and exit our kingdom in one piece. And that's the extent of my knowledge on it. You better count your lucky stars that I had some pull to be given  _that_  information." Isshin said as he re-emerged from the kitchen. He stood there in the middle of the house for a moment before grabbing a notebook from the table and sitting down in the dining room with it.

"Are you working?" Ichigo asked.

"Yeah. When you're ready, you're welcome to help out around here again."

"I will. I just have to go let the Captains know I'm back for work now."

Grimmjow was as silent as ever. He took note of the way Kurosaki interacted with his father. It was a bit jarring that the screaming buffoon he'd first seen jumping off the roof was so competent and (arguably) normal. Kurosaki seemed to take after him a little.

Ichigo got up and looked at Grimmjow before speaking, "I'm gonna run to HQ really quick; shouldn't take more than like twenty minutes. If you want, you can change out of those clothes and shower a bit. I know wearing the Capital fashion isn't something you were too happy about."

The Arrancar raised an eyebrow. He'd never told Kurosaki he hated the clothes he'd been basically forced to wear. And it's not like he made it obvious or even spoken about it aloud in his presence.

He was an observant kid, that was for sure…

"I'll grab a shower." Grimmjow said, getting up as well.

"Cool. You can grab anything from my closet to wear. The bathroom's upstairs, first door on the right. My room has the ornament on the door." Ichigo smiled, then headed to the front door. "I'll be back in a few." He said.

After he'd gone, Grimmjow made his way to the stairs.

"Grimmjow," Isshin called, looking up from his paperwork.

Said man halted and turned, acknowledging the older Kurosaki with a glance.

"Ichigo is a good kid. I don't know the dynamics or specifics of your relationship, but he's never been one to take to anyone like this before. I'm pretty glad he has finally found someone he likes, and I can tell he likes you a lot. Gotta admit, I wasn't really expecting a potential son-in-law from him, but I'm happy if he's happy. Know that if you hurt my son, I'll be coming for your royal pelt." He warned with a paternal protectiveness Grimmjow almost found himself jealous of.

"Keeping that in mind." Grimmjow said, just before continuing on up the stairs.

He would never admit it, not even at his dying breath, but it was strange to him.

This was strange to him.

Not the blatant threat or anything.

In fact, he was sure that if he could handle the young Kurosaki, the older one would be no trouble, either.

What was strange was the fact that there were people who saw Kurosaki as  _theirs_  to keep safe. While Grimmjow only protected him on their journey to achieve his ultimate goal, now that it was over, he found it annoying that other people were stepping into the picture and he didn't care to think why he felt this way about it.

Perhaps it was the idea of someone else making claim on what was his and  _only_  his…

The old man, the gypsy, the redheaded busty girl, and anyone else who stepped to lay claim on Kurosaki were in for a rude awakening.

"By the way, the mask thing on your face is pretty interesting. I like it." He heard Isshin say once he'd gotten upstairs.

* * *

"Enjoying the tea?" Urahara asked as he and his guests sat around the small table in the center of one of his back rooms. There was a high window that was open to let the bright sunlight in—anything to  _lighten_  the mood.

"It's very good. Thank you for offering it." Rukia gave a nod, nearly done with hers.

"Renji?" the blond turned.

"It's great. Thanks very much." Renji said very straightforwardly.

"Glad to hear that. Now, I know you're both looking for Ichigo, but I'm curious as to why you came here instead of going to his house. Isn't that the obvious place to look?"

Renji replied. "Yea, but we got wind of his traveling with you, so we figured you'd bring him here. Because we thought Ichigo might be trying to smuggle that guy into this place, and I happen to know about your secret passages."

Urahara gasped dramatically, "How do you know those?"

"I've. Been. Working. For. You. For. Months." the redhead emphasized his point.

"We were going to check Ichigo's place, but this did seem like the place he'd choose to store the prince." Rukia added.

"You can't have known Grimmjow would have decided to visit the kingdom." Urahara said assuredly.

"Well, Renji does know they have a 'special' connection, so we just figured he would for a while. Even if Ichigo was going to go with him to Las Noches, there was no way he'd miss the chance to stop here to see his family and friends." The Kuchiki heiress continued, having pulled out a notepad and doodled everyone Ichigo likely wanted to visit. Even Inoue was featured, despite the obvious.

"It's interesting that you guys suspect Ichigo is going to Las Noches."

"We can't be sure what he's going to do." Renji said a little somberly.

Urahara sighed, "You kids these days, so gloomy all the time. Learn to smile a bit more."

"I'm not gloomy!" Renji snapped back.

"Oooh,  _and_  touchy…"

Renji crossed his legs on the floor. "By the way, are you gonna tell me who's looking for me?"

"Stay for a while. I have some things I need you to help me repair." The blond man said as he got up and collected the now empty tea cups. "Give Ichigo some time to introduce his new fella to his family before you go bombarding and berating him for falling in love in the first place."

"That's putting it harshly…" the redhead commented.

"…" Rukia considered Urahara's recommendation and agreed that perhaps Ichigo did need time to catch up with his family first, "Renji, he's right. We should wait for a little while before we go see Ichigo. And you might want to reconsider the way you approach him. You seem very on-edge lately, so maybe do something relaxing and calm your nerves some."

"Ah, the female voice is so often the voice of reason." Urahara observed as he left them alone in the room.

"You can try the springs in the basement if you're looking to melt some stress away." Ururu offered as she entered the room with towels and robes.

"Ururu!" Rukia called excitedly, offering a smile. She got up and walked over to the younger girl. "Where have you and Jinta been these past few days? I heard Tessai had to do everything around here."

"We were out and about." The soft-spoken lass replied, handing one of the towels and robes to Rukia.

"Join me. Tell me about this trip."

"Sure." Ururu agreed, then went over and gave the other towel and robe to Renji.

"Where's Jinta at?" the redhead asked. It was weird to see one of them without the other.

"He's around. You'll probably bump into him before you leave." And with that, she left Renji alone in the room.

Admittedly, a bit of soaking in the hot springs sounded pretty good right now. So, Renji took a minute to disrobe and cover himself with the towel provided, then followed after the girls.

What he wasn't prepared for was the wave of steam that slapped him in the face as he opened the door that led to springs. Walking down the narrow, wood-walled stairway, he got into the unreasonably large room of springs in the basement, where he saw the girls getting in at the ones on the lowest level.

While he was interested in sneaking a peek at Rukia, he thought better of it and quickly undressed to get into one at the higher level, near the door.

The feeling of the searing water on his skin almost immediately coaxed him into a more relaxed state of mind. There was something about soaking in hot water that just had that effect on a person. He sunk in low enough that only his nose and everything above it were above the water's surface.

It felt pretty good.

His mind, previously consumed with thoughts of Ichigo and all the shit that had occurred since the day he left went to the recesses of his mind. The only thing he could focus on was all the steam rising off the surface of the water. After a while, he closed his eyes and he drifted into a light sleep.

"You'll drown if you fall asleep in there. I can see it in the papers—Idiot Drowns in Hot Water While Sleeping."

Jinta's scrappy voice snapped him back to reality.

The much younger man was sitting with his legs in the water and a towel draped over his waist and thighs. His bright red hair was slicked back even more than it normally was, and sort of damp. Renji wondered if he'd gone underwater recently.

"Long time no see." He told him, coming out of the water a little bit.

"Where have you been?" Jinta asked.

"Out," Was the only response given.

"Where? You and your buddies were gone from the kingdom for weeks."

"Don't worry about it. That's classified information." Renji dismissed.

"I guess I could just ask Ishida or Chad. I know they went with you." Jinta said. He grinned and covered his face when Renji splashed a big wave of water at him.

Renji cocked his head to the side a little. "Missed me while I was gone?"

"Not on your life." Jinta. Lied. Through. His. Teeth. "I was kinda hating doing all the crappy jobs you do around here like cleaning the gutters and fixing the plumbing, though."

"I only do those things when I'm working. And those aren't my only jobs... Besides, one of you has to do those things when I'm not here, anyway." Renji raised a good point.

"Imma tell you a little secret: it's usually just held off for you to fix."

"You little punk!"

Jinta shrugged and got up, dropping his towel in the process. He smiled when he saw Renji paying attention to him, still. "Watch this." He said, then headed back to the wall before running and executing a masterful cannonball into the hot spring water.

Renji laughed harder than he had in a while when the teen came up with beet red skin, screaming. "You shoulda known you couldn't do that without consequence!" he said, and laughed some more.

Hurriedly, Jinta swam over to Renji so he could air his skin in the shallower end. Thankfully, Renji couldn't tell he was actually blushing, too. Why had he done something so stupid like that, he wondered.

Surely, even the girls down below were curious about what was going on…

"You always do stupid stuff like that?" the older man asked.

"I'm not scared of anything." Jinta declared. Another lie.

"Liar."

After taking a moment to cool off, or at least stop burning, Jinta bit his lip and sunk into the water. He refused to make eye contact as he spoke, "Billbugooutbithbe?" he asked under the water.

Renji raised a tattooed eyebrow, amused at the display. "What? I can't understand your bubbles."

"Never mind."

"Really, say what's on your mind."

Renji was being oddly inviting and interested. Or maybe that was reading into his genuine nature too much…

"I said give me a massage." Jinta told him.

"Ehm, no?" the older man couldn't tell if that request was serious or not.

"You owe me. I did your chores while you were gone. Now obey my orders."

"You didn't stay here long after I left, though. And who died and made  _you_  a king?"

"Long enough." Jinta swam up to Renji and turned around before forcing himself into a comfortable seating position between his legs. "Get on with it."

"I don't even know how."

"Take your  _apish manhands_ , put them on my shoulders, and then… rub and  _massage._  Everyone knows what a massage is!"

Renji rolled his eyes. Jinta was being pretty pushy today, even more so than usual.

Reaching out, he grabbed the shoulders in front of him and roughly rubbed them. There was some muscle there, meaning at least he hadn't been skipping out on training. "This is weird." He commented after a while. "You sure you don't want money or something?"

Jinta looked over his shoulder, "Well, there is  _something_  you could do for me."

Renji stopped and withdrew his hands, resting them on his thighs. "And what's that?"

A brief silence ensued before a reply was given.

"You could take me to the Spring Festival and buy stuff for me."

Tattooed brows furrowed. "Like… a  _date_?"

"I didn't use that word."

"That's what it sounds like."

"Why do you think that?" the younger redhead asked.

"Well, if this had been something you wanted years ago, then I wouldn't think that. But lately you've been sorta nice to me. I have noticed you noticing me before, especially when I'm working outside in the heat. You made a fool of yourself just now for whatever reason. You're currently sitting between my legs. You wanted a massage from me… and I guess… that's it."

Jinta swallowed a mouthful of saliva. He felt his heart threatening to jump from his chest at the potential answer he was about to get to this question. "You want me to move?" he finally asked.

"I'd like that, yea. But if you're comfortable with my junk against your backside-" Renji was shocked when Jinta splashed him in the face. He wiped his eyes, and as he did, he felt the teen rest his back against him.

"Do  _you_  want to take me on a date?" Jinta asked.

"The real question is, do  _you_  want  _me_  to take you on a date?"

"Answer my question first!" the younger snapped.

"I prefer people who aren't still in high school, to be honest. I'm like thirteen years older than you." Renji said, "But if you want, we can. I know they do these kinds of things in those manga you read." He grinned.

"I'm sixteen years old! That's legal! And don't act like you haven't read some of them before." Jinta rested the back of his head against Renji's chest. He could feel his heartbeat against him, and it lulled him a bit, calming his own. He was glad he'd found the courage to speak up and express his desires to Renji.

Sure, he was young and didn't know anything about love, and he didn't think this was what it was, but gods did it make him feel good to be here with him like this. If he could find some way to stay here resting with Renji and not have to return to the real world, he'd... consider it…

Though, they'd probably get all prune-y after too long...

Reaching back, he intertwined his smaller fingers into the man's larger ones, holding his hand under the water.

"Wasn't it you who told me not to fall asleep?" Renji asked.

"I'm not so stupid as you to do something like that in the springs." He grinned quite genuinely.

"By the way, shouldn't you and Ururu be in school? And what about all the class you two missed?"

"…Sometimes things just work out like they do in manga." Jinta told him, "As the protagonist, I'll get away with it. And Ururu will too, by association."

"Wow, I… can't argue that logic." Renji admitted.

* * *

The bathroom was smaller than Grimmjow'd hoped, a fact that he was continuously reminded of.

He wasn't used to showering, let alone doing so in a peasant-sized tub. He liked  _bathing_  in an area where he could swim around. Standing and letting the water fall on him in this tiny cube was unbecoming of someone of his status.

Not only that, but there were so many different shampoos and soaps here it was near exasperating. He had to assume this was a shared bathroom from the razors and feminine products strewn about. Not once had he ever seen Kurosaki shave in their time together. And he wasn't in need of pads, either.

Turning the water off, he stepped out of the shower and dried himself off. There was so much steam in the room that the mirror was fogged and breathing was somehow more difficult.

He opened the window to let it filter out, then rolled his eyes at the sight of the neighborhood all sunlit and peaceful outside.

After walking over to the mirror and wiping it with his hands, he looked himself over. His arm was still here, as if it had never been severed in the first place. It was awesome that something like this was possible. That girl's powers were no joke…

Grimmjow eventually dressed in Kurosaki's clothes—a long-sleeved white shirt and gray sweats with a brand name running down the right leg. They were the only things Kurosaki had clean that weren't some obnoxiously, hideously loud color.

He hoped he wouldn't mind him free balling in his bottoms…

Ever aware of his surroundings, he heard the front door open and someone enter downstairs.

He smirked and left the bathroom, heading down to meet Kurosaki.

However, when he reached the foot of the stairs, he was greeted with two young girls standing stiff as statues.

"D—DAAAAAAD!" the brunette cried out.

Kurosaki's old man came dashing from the other end of the house with a broom. "WHAT'S GOING ON?!"

"INTRUDER!" the black-haired girl declared, pointing at Grimmjow.

Isshin turned and met Grimmjow's gaze for a second before throwing his hands up defensively. "No, no, no! This is Ichigo's boyfriend! He's not an intruder!"

Grimmjow hadn't really heard himself referred to in this way before. It did something to him…

"Ichigo has a boyfriend?!" the brunette asked, her jaw then dropped. She looked shell shocked. As afraid as she was before, her expression suddenly became much more dreamy. "How wonderful! And he's  _so_  good-looking, too!" She gasped even louder. "THIS MUST MEAN HE'S BACK HOME!"

The black-haired one closed the door and squinted, "Isn't he the one who they were gonna execute for destroying the kingdom and kidnapping Ichigo…?"

"Destroying the kingdom, yes. I don't think that execution had anything to do with his kidnapping Ichigo specifically." Isshin corrected. "Doubt they'd have taken it that far for a charge like that."

"And Ichigo is now in a relationship with the same guy?" she continued.

"Well, I can't make any judgments." The old man continued. "They must've been together for a long time after his escape, so who knows what could've happened. And Yuzu, Ichigo  _is_  home. He's just running an errand right now. Guess he thought he'd be back before you two got here."

"I see. Well, I'm Yuzu Kurosaki! Nice to meet you! " the less skeptical of the two girls introduced herself to Grimmjow, walking over to him and holding out her small, innocent hand.

Grimmjow eyed her for a moment, partly shocked that her fear had seemingly completely subsided and partly wondering why she thought it was appropriate to touch a prince. In any case, he could read the room after a while of her just standing there with her hand out…

He took it and shook it for a moment, making sure not to squeeze too hard. "Grimmjow Jaegerjaques."

"I'm Karin." The other girl said, then walked into the living room and dropped her bags on the floor. She, too, seemed rather casual about the situation now.

Was that all it took? Saying Kurosaki was his boyfriend to instantly get on their good sides?

"Oh! Have you eaten anything? I can cook dinner!" Yuzu offered.

It was then that Grimmjow recalled something.

Back when he was in the dungeons of this place, when Kurosaki had come to visit, he mentioned his sister had made the meal he fed him. As he recalled, that food was on par with the palace cooks in Las Noches.

"Don't spoil him, Yuzu." Karin said, then headed into the kitchen to grab a bottled water from the refrigerator.

Grimmjow turned when he heard the old man sniffling. "WE'VE ADDED ANOTHER MEMBER TO THE FAMILY!" he cried out as he ran across the room and hugged a poster Grimmjow hadn't noticed before.

The woman featured on it was rather pretty even though she seemed like a commoner. She had bright golden-orange hair like Kurosaki, and Grimmjow could piece it together that this was his mother.

But why was there a giant poster of her on the wall like that?

"Grimmjow! Do you have any preferences on food? We have roast I can make, or pasta, or I could fry up some fish we got from the market yesterday!"

Cerulean eyes flashed to the girl in the kitchen as a wicked grin found its way to the man's face.

* * *

While he imagined it was going to be a hassle, returning after all this time to just get back on duty, Ichigo was surprised that his superiors claimed they understood his leave. They didn't seem to mind that he'd slipped away to the Capital to beg pardon for the criminal who attacked their kingdom, either.

Perhaps he was being a little cynical, but he couldn't help but feel like this was all going too smoothly.

Surely he had to keep watch over his shoulder for not only his sake, but Grimmjow's as well, right?

As he got closer to his house, he wondered if his father knew about the crystals. He was once Captain of the Tenth Division, after all.

If he did know about them, surely he had to know about the weapon that was capable of destroying an entire continent…

On that note, he needed to eventually speak to Katen again, since she was the one who sent him on this quest for them in the first place. Was it time to release the crystals back to where they came from?

It'd probably be better to hold onto them, he thought. Because if that weapon were revived, they were the defense against it, no? Sending them back to their respective locations would mean they'd need collecting all over again. And if that were the case, it would already be too late to act against the resulting destruction…

Another thing on his mind that hadn't really left in the first place was where Chile was.

The phoenix knew how to find him, but Ichigo hadn't the slightest idea if he could do the same. Conceivably, Grimmjow would be somewhat knowledgeable on that.

"Oh Ichigooooo!" Nel's familiar call caught the orange-head off-guard and he whipped around to see her approaching with Pantera and Kon, as well as a few shopping bags in-arm.

"Hey Nel!" he said, smiling when she reached him.

"Whatcha up to?" the gypsy asked.

"Headed back to my house. There's no telling what Grimmjow is getting into right now."

"You left him alone in your house?"

"Not alone, my Dad's there. And my sisters are probably there, too, now." Ichigo said, then started walking with Nel at his side again.

"Think they're getting on?"

"I think so. Grimmjow's not as bad as people make him out to be. I mean, he's pretty bad, but he's pretty good sometimes, too."

"I'd… uh… rather go spend some time with Ururu!" Kon shouted all of a sudden.

Ichigo looked past Nel to the little lion riding on Pantera's back. "Between Jinta and Yuzu, I don't think there's any winning for you. At least at our place you can hide in my room. Yuzu's probably forgotten all about you." he offered, not really sure why he was being so nice to Kon.

Actually, it was best to keep him close because he had all the crystals hidden away inside him. And nobody knew that but the travel group, meaning that's where they'd be safest.

"I'm kind of excited to meet your family, Ichigo!" Nel nearly bounced as she walked. It was weird, but pleasantly so, to see someone so excited to meet the Kurosakis.

Ichigo smiled fondly, "Yeah, me too. They're pretty amazing."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Two things. The first is that I'm still planning that final chapter with confessions about the story/things you all might find interesting. Normally I just kinda do things and hope you guys like it, but I do want to know if that would interest you. A story this long, I feel, is worth it. This would include inspiration for it, which plotlines were hardest to write, changes I decided to make from the original idea, and things like that. If you read this far, surely you might be interested in that, ay?
> 
> Second thing is me just saying thanks for all the amazing feedback so far! This specific part of the story was never super concrete, so its mostly writing itself at the moment and I'm very much enjoying the process. I do imagine it will get a little slice-of-life-ish for a bit... Let me know how you feel about it! Your feedback is more helpful than you know :)
> 
> Oh, and a third thing... The RenJin (I'm dubbing it that) really came out of left field and I have liked the pairing for a very long time now. I thought it was important to include for reasons to be later revealed, so I hope you guys aren't hating it. I really had to make myself keep this scene from taking up too much of the chapter because it's that interesting for me to write. I doubt I'll write much fanfiction after the stories I have are concluded, so that's another reason I wanted to include them in this.
> 
> Til next chapter, everyone!


	83. all but one

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Whew! Sorry for the long wait for the update, but I've had a lotta things going on and this chapter took a long time to put together. But it came together really well on its own and as a part of the overall story, so I hope you enjoy it! :)

As Ichigo arrived at his house with Nel and Pantera on his heels, he felt a bit more at ease than his initial arrival with Grimmjow. And most notably, unlike before, his father hadn't dove off the roof with a frying pan to greet them.

"This place is so cute!" Nel observed.

Ichigo turned and saw her standing with her hands behind her back and a smile on her face. Here in the calm, sun-bathed Seireitei streets, she certainly didn't seem out of place.

"Thanks. We try to keep it looking presentable." The orange-head smiled, and then rang the doorbell.

He hoped Grimmjow was behaving himself. He certainly didn't want a war of classes to arise in his own home…

"Coming!" a voice Ichigo had to take a moment to recognize.

The door sprung open and there stood Senna, smiling and happy to see the friend she'd long since seen departing the kingdom.

"Ichigo!" the girl shouted, then jumped out at him and locked him in a tight, warm hug.

Ichigo nearly fell backwards from the sudden embrace, but caught himself just in time.

"Senna?! What are you doing here?!"

Nel stood silently, a little confused about this girl and even more confused about her familiarity with her favorite strawberry.

"Some way to greet me after all these weeks you've been gone! It's been so boring without you around!" Senna told him, letting him go and stepping aside so he could enter his house.

Of course, she hadn't been in the kingdom that much longer than Ichigo had. Since she joined Renji's party to find him and was subsequently captured by forest sprites, it had only been a few days that she could recall being out of his presence.

"I missed you." Ichigo said and smiled, hoping this would put Senna at ease.

"See? Was that so hard?"

"Ichigo, you have  _another_  girlfriend?" Nel asked accusingly.

"Wha-" said man whipped his head around, "No! Am I not allowed to be close to females?"

"I'm teasing." The gypsy grinned.

"Who's this?" Senna asked.

"O—oh, this is my friend Nelliel. She helped me and Grimmjow a lot during our travels." Ichigo turned to Nel, "Nel, this is Senna. She's a close friend who works with me."

"We hang out outside of work, too." Senna added.

"And this is Pantera, Grimmjow's spirit animal. He's friendly." It was best to clear that up right away. The first moments he spent around the panther, he was constantly trying to make out whether he was in any danger or not.

"Let's see if he likes being petted." Senna asked, kneeling down to Pantera's level. Ichigo and Nel walked inside, and Pantera sat down on the doorstep. Just before she got close, Kon jumped out from behind the beast and startled her back onto her rear end.

"Senna!" the little lion cried.

"K—Kon?"

Ichigo smiled, more or less glad there were now more people he had the chance to pawn Kon off to.

"Onii-chan!"

The familiar call of his sister's voice calling out to him made the orange-head freeze in his tracks. His heart nearly jumped into his throat he was so elated at the sound. Before he knew it, he was grabbed in a hug from both sides. He felt tears threatening to form in his eyes, even. All he could do was wrap both arms around his younger sisters and hold them close.

"We missed you!" Yuzu cried into his shirt.

Karin, while not crying herself, had a hard time even forming words. She truly missed Ichigo's presence while he was away. Dealing with their father and Yuzu, who were both a little eccentric in their own ways, without him to counterbalance them was a trial its own.

"I missed you guys, too. But I'm home now."

It was a sight to behold, Ichigo holding his sisters close. Nel felt herself growing emotional, as though this was a homecoming reunion even  _she_  had been anticipating. She looked around the house, noting that even though it was dual-purposed as a clinic, it was truly a  _home_. Ichigo had such a wonderful life. No wonder he was such a good person.

* * *

With all the introductions out of the way, Ichigo imagined he'd be able to go and find Grimmjow to spend some time with him. But before he got the chance, Renji arrived at his door.

"Hey, Renji. How've you been?" he asked, genuinely curious about what the Vice Captain had been up to since he left. Making this as casual a reunion as possible was his goal, considering their less than pleasant parting.

Renji seemed a bit more serious than ever. "I've been just fine. How about you? What's been going on during your 'vacation'?" the tattooed man asked. While he was more or less completely aware of everything Ichigo had been up to, he wanted to hear it all from the man himself.

"We can talk inside if you want."

"Actually, I was asked to pick you up for a serious matter." Renji rejected his invitation almost immediately.

"Oh, uh… okay…" Ichigo took a moment before speaking again, "Gimme one sec and I'll join you."

Quickly, he went to his room and found Grimmjow lying quite comfortably on his bed. "Hey Grimm, I'm going out for a little while. Will you be alright hanging out here until I come back? I won't be long, I promise."

Grimmjow's electric eyes were unfalteringly piercing. "Do what you want, Kurosaki. Don't expect me to be here when you get back."

Ichigo leaned against the threshold, "Please don't go. We've still got things to talk about. I just have something important to take care of with the Captains, it seems."

The Arrancar rolled his eyes, "When you get back fix me something to eat. Or bring something on your way back here." He demanded.

"Certainly, your majesty." The orange-head rolled his eyes, then left Grimmjow alone in his room.

Grimmjow sighed, wondering how he'd come to let this kid control what he did and where he went so easily…

* * *

The walk with Renji was quiet, Ichigo noted mentally. A little uncomfortable even, considering they'd been pretty close for so many years now. Sure, they had that disagreement when he left the kingdom, and he wasn't expecting everything to just go back to normal, but having such a good friend be so emotionally distant was anxiety inducing. It didn't help that Renji was leading the way, and thus, his back was to him the whole time.

It didn't take long to figure out where Renji was taking him. "We going to Rukia and Byakuya's this late in the evening?" he asked, noting the sunset sky overhead.

"Yea, Rukia asked me to bring you. We have some things we wanna talk to you about." Was Renji's response.

"…" Ichigo chose his words carefully. "Did you miss me while I was gone?"

Renji looked over his shoulder, "In what context are you asking?"

"The  _regular_  context…"

"It was less lively without you here. Almost like I was sleeping for days, despite the others being around." Renji replied after a pause. He'd chosen his words deliberately.

"Senna didn't give you the usual business?" the orange-head smiled.

"Not as much as you'd think."

"Ah… That's weird."

Just as they arrived at the gateway, Renji turned to Ichigo and stared him directly in the eyes. "Are you leaving us anytime soon? Or will you be returning to regular duty?"

Ichigo was a bit shocked, but he knew he should've expected such forwardness from Renji of all people. "I didn't want to leave the first time. But I had no choice, really. I don't expect I'll have to leave like that again, so you don't have to worry. And you don't have to be so serious with me. We're friends, so stop treating me like we're strangers or something."

After a brief and silent stare down, Renji turned and continued on.

Ahead, Ichigo spotted Rukia standing at the doorway under the hanging gas light. She was waiting with her arms folded and her stare glued to the sky. But when Renji called out to her, she looked their way and seemed less serious than before.

Ichigo smiled, "Rukia!"

It was so good to see her again. It had felt like a part of him was missing with his family and all his friends being here as he spirited his way across the continent…

"Hello, Ichigo. Welcome back to Seireitei, if no one has told you that yet." Rukia said warmly. She seemed much more inviting than Renji had.

"It's really good to see you again. Hope things have been well here. And uh… what's this meeting about? Here at your place?" he asked, looking at the compound façade, just as large and extravagant as he remembered. Certainly nothing had changed in just a few weeks, but it somehow felt like everything was different now that he'd left with Grimmjow, experienced so much of the world, and come back.

"Come inside. Senna will be joining us soon." Rukia told him, guiding him through the dim front foyer. "Things have been alright." She said as they walked.

Ichigo noticed the living room was dark, lit only by a few candles. He turned to Rukia, and Renji who was behind them a little. "You guys planning a séance or something?" he joked.

A strong arm around his neck took him by surprise.

"SURPRISE!" several voices called out all at once, as the lights suddenly came on and revealed all of his friends waving sparklers. There were drinks and treats, and even a scrumptious looking cake on the table, just for him.

"Welcome back, Ichigo." Chad told him, squeezing him tighter for a moment before releasing him.

"Way to have us all worried about you, as usual." Ishida slighted in passing.

Ichigo deadpanned, surprised he even showed up to a party.

A glance around the room and he noticed everyone was here. Ishida and Chad, Keigo and Mizuiro, Chizuru, Tatsuki, Michiru, Yumichika, Ikkaku, Kira, Shuhei, Momo, and Rangiku had all come out to welcome him home. He had to wonder where Byakuya was at this hour while his mansion was being utilized for what seemed to be the equivalent of a college party.

Over in the corner, Ichigo noticed Shinji of all people. He greeted everyone and told them how glad he was to see them again, except for Tatsuki, and headed over to him. Naturally, he wanted to see how he was considering what Grimmjow had done to him the last time they met…

"Shinji, how are you?" he asked. "Are you here alone?"

Shinji smiled. "For now. Mashiro, Love, and Hiyori might find their way here at some point. And I'm just dandy, thanks for asking."

Ichigo felt warm in the face. "I'm sorry about what happened the last time I saw you."

"Yea, I never expected something like that. Your boyfriend is an absolute maniac, you know." The blond smirked at Ichigo's facial expression. "Oh, yea, literally everybody knows you're together."

"He's not so bad when you get to know him…"

"Really? 'Cuz destroying part of our city, kidnapping the lovely Orihime, nearly killing you and Rukia, and the continued list of psychotic things he's done painted a very  _different_  picture of him." Shinji walked into the kitchen and grabbed a beer from the fridge. He grabbed a second one and headed back to Ichigo. When the younger denied the drink, he insisted, shoving it into his hand. "Drink. You need to unwind. Yer so stiff…"

"I don't really like the taste of beer." Ichigo admitted.

"Then down it quickly. I'm sure there are many things you take in that you don't like the taste of." He said knowingly.

Ichigo opened the bottle and drank from it, but decided he wasn't quite ready to get a buzz going. "I have something to do before I can drink, really. Plus, I shouldn't even be here. If I'd have known this was a party, I-"

"Wouldn't've come?" Shinji interrupted, "Spare me, you would have. If you knew all these people were here for  _you_ , you would have."

"Ichigo."

Said man turned at the sound of his name coming from Tatsuki.

"Tatsuki…" he called lowly. "Hey."

"Don't you 'hey' me like we just saw each other a few days ago. What the hell?!"

He couldn't make eye contact for long, but knew he needed to. So he stared his friend right in the eyes. "I'm sorry… about everything… I tried, really I did. I wanted to bring her home. But at the very least, she was safe and fine the last time I saw her."

Tatsuki stared on with a blank expression. She noted how upset Ichigo had become, how his once strong demeanor had become cold, withdrawn, and utterly shut off from her. Yelling at him, as she normally would in a situation where Orihime was subject to any sort of misfortune, would only further isolate him from her. And that's not what tonight was about. Hell, it's not what their  _friendship_  was about.

Stepping close, she plucked Ichigo in the forehead and then gave him a brief hug. "Thanks for trying. I know you only mean well by her. Someday, we'll see her smiling, and we'll all be together again. I know it."

Ichigo took in a quick breath, feeling unusually emotional in the moment. He returned the hug and closed his eyes. "Yeah, we will."

Every one of his friends had gathered here to celebrate his homecoming. All but one of them, that is…

~O~

Someone had gotten some music going, livening up the party beyond the simple gathering it had been previously. Ichigo knew he was the man of the hour, but he truly wanted to slip away for a bit. He noticed that Ururu and Jinta had wound up coming, which was definitely odd. They weren't exactly of legal age to be around all the alcohol, but who was he to step in and rain on their parade?

Nelliel and Senna arrived shortly after them… together. They seemed to be getting on quite famously in his absence, which he was happy to see. Nel needed friends that weren't Ichigo exclusively. She did mention some traveling companions she occasionally met with, but Ichigo had yet to see them and was starting to doubt their very existence. After all, what kinds of names were Dondochakka, Pesche, and Bawabawa?

Seeing her here, laughing and giggling and drinking with Senna, was heartwarming.

Despite the good vibes going around, he felt the need to be alone; take in and process the feeling of being back with all his loved ones rather than be continually bombarded by the lot of them. So he made his way into the garden he meditated in before Grimmjow's first arrival in Seireitei.

It was just as glorious as it ever was under the pale moonlight. He wondered if Byakuya tended to it himself. It was an amusing thought, Byakuya in a giant sun hat and apron tending to plants. He snickered in a negligibly buzzed state as he took a seat where he could still see the party goers from a distance. Observing was something he always liked to do.

However, fate had it that he was not to be alone in the act.

"Hey Renji." He said as said man approached him from the long walkway.

"Ichigo." Renji said as he took a seat near his friend, beer in-hand. The two of them sat in silence for a while, an almost romantic vibe growing between them, until Renji spoke again. "Did you have fun with him?"

Ichigo turned to the other, then held out his hand for the beer. After getting it and taking a drink, he gave it back. "You could say that. I really like him a lot."

"Is he everything I wasn't?"

The question he knew was eventually coming.

The orange-head stared up at the passing clouds as they touched the moonlight briefly, "I wouldn't say that. You and I… we just couldn't be… It was sudden and we were both crazy to think a drunken one-nighter where nothing _major_ happened could mean we were meant to be more than friends."

It was strange, having this conversation so many years after what had happened between them. Even though he'd been thoroughly drunk that night, Ichigo still remembered the details of their secret tryst very vividly. Hell, he'd certainly remember seeing Renji naked, nervous, and blushing for the rest of his life.

And sure, it was very special despite the heavy influence of alcohol, but afterwards they both came undone and knew it.

"I know. Didn't mean to…" Renji sighed, "I just want you to be happy. I don't like Grimmjow for a lengthy list of reasons, but I won't stand in the way of your lifelong happiness anymore."

Ichigo stared at Renji, then moved in and gave him a hug. "I appreciate that. And I want you to be happy, Renji. Have you been… dating at all? We never really get to talk about these things. Heck, we never get to just hang out anymore."

"Not really. I've had a lot on my plate for work lately. Plus… I never told you this, but we were basically kidnapped for the entire amount of time you were gone."

"What?! Who-"

"Those damn forest sprites took us while we were chasing you. Shows how great a leader I am, huh?" he grinned, though Ichigo could tell he was hiding a considerable amount of pain behind that stupid smile.

"Renji, you couldn't have stopped them. I don't even know why they trusted me to carry on and collect the crystals. But you braved the Phantom Forest for me, or, to at least yell at me. Everyone in the kingdom avoids that place like the plague. Even Pantera and Nel went around it when coming after me and they never heard the stories about it. So, that's something to think about."

The tattooed redhead's gaze moved to the ground to contemplate that. "Y—you're right. I guess that was pretty brave."

"Don't underestimate yourself, man. You're a great leader."

"Thanks."

"…Renji, can I ask you something?"

"Oh, yeah. Shoot."

"What are Ururu and Jinta doing here? I figure they were looking for you before I got home, but they're following you like lost puppies."

Renji blushed very deeply and averted his gaze. "Not to be blunt… but I'm pretty sure Jinta wants me to fuck him."

Brown eyes were wide, "Whaaat?!" Ichigo giggled. "No way! He  _hates_  you!"

"…"

Seeing as how Renji wasn't laughing, he figured it was true. "Nooo… are you…  _going to_?" he asked.

"I don't know, probably not."

" _Probably_?"

"Is it weird? I basically watched him go from a kid to the annoying high schooler he is today. But Ichigo… he  _really_  wants it. Nobody has ever wanted my dick this badly."

Ichigo felt a bit out of place somehow. He and Renji never really had these sorts of conversations before. "Do you want him?"

Renji avoided eye contact, still. "I'd hit it. And you  _know_  what a freak I can be, but he's still pure despite what a demon he is. If he steps inside the playhouse, there's no turning back."

"…Did you just-"

"Shut up…" Renji blushed.

"Hmm, well I mean he's legal age; or almost legal if he's not. If Grimmjow had met me before I was legal, I doubt he would've cared. I say if you want him, go for it. Are you worried about what people might say?"

"Not really. But I don't know that I can see anything serious between us. What do we have in common?"

Having had experience with this very subject, Ichigo nodded, and pretended to be an old sage. "You have to open yourself to new experiences or you'll be stuck in a life without chances. Don't just say no to everything and wind up an old man filled with regret. If it makes you happy, do it." He changed his tone back, "But let me advise you not to do it because he's young or anything. Don't become a creep."

"Stop making it weird! I'm already on the fence about it! Jeez!"

"Hey, maybe you should go talk to him. He probably came here just to see you. After all, he's been with me for a few days now so it's not like he missed  _me_ and wants to welcome me back."

"I don't know what to talk about with him. Action figures?"

"Don't be stupid. Talk about anything. Be open. A potential partner deserves that."

Renji got up and sighed. "Thanks. Don't tell anyone about this, by the by."

"Your secret's safe with me. Now go socialize or deep throat or something. You know, whatever works." Ichigo grinned at the hasty retreat from Renji. He watched as he entered the kitchen and hung around for a bit, chatting, before Jinta found his way to him.

 _He wasn't kidding. He really does want it._  He thought, not sure if he should be shocked at someone showing this much interest in another person, or glad that Renji was getting the  _affectionate_  attention he needed.

Either way, it made him miss Grimmjow, who was waiting at home for him like a pretty little Christmas present. He was about ready to get back to him, but since this was a party for him, he figured he had to stay a bit longer… Having friends, while beautiful and endearing, was sometimes very straining.

* * *

"What are you doing at this party for grownups?" Renji asked, looking down his nose at Jinta.

The shorter redhead rolled his eyes, then snagged a beer from the fridge. "I'm more mature than you'll ever be." He said, then snatched the drink out of Renji's reach when he made to take it. He opened it and drank from it, heading into the dimly lit hallway as he did.

The sound of Renji following him was as expected.

"Give me that drink. You're not old enough to be doing that."

"Stop telling me what I am and aren't supposed to be doing! I had three drinks already. Besides, you can't look me in the eye and tell me you weren't dinking in high school."

"I can't look you in the eye because my vision's actually getting a little blurry. But I can tell you you're not even supposed to be here."

Jinta stopped and turned, putting the beer on a table without use of a coaster. When Renji caught up with him, he frowned. "I could've been doing anything else tonight. There were lots of people I could've hung out with, but I came here."

"Dragging Ururu with you."

"Tch, she's more mature than most of the people here. Anyway, I came here to see you in your element. Look at you, drunker than a sailor."

Renji blinked a few times, seeing the devil in Jinta's eyes. He realized he'd drank a bit much, but hallucinations were unusual… "Are you literally the devil?" he asked.

"Come find out." Jinta grinned, then entered one of the guest rooms.

Taking Ichigo's advice, he followed. After entering the room, he closed the door and felt hands running over his torso immediately after doing so.

"Jinta, I'm not gonna fuck you. Not tonight, anyway." He whispered the last part.

Jinta stopped and stared at Renji in the dark. "I don't think you should while you're so drunk. But we can still have a bit of fun tonight." He said, then jumped onto the larger man so he'd hold him.

He could feel Renji's breath and nearly taste the beer he'd been drinking. All he wanted was right in front of him.

"Can I at least kiss you?"

Renji nodded, resulting in a tender meeting of their lips. He felt electrified, immediately ready to put Jinta  _to bed_. He carried him over to the bed and fell on top of him, their lips still locked. Wasting no time, he sent his tongue out and was greeted with the other's taste.

Jinta ran his hands up and down Renji's arms and wrapped his thighs around his waist. After pulling away, he nuzzled his nose against the sharper one in front of him. "Are you still willing to take me to the festival?"

After getting comfortable on the bed, Renji replied. "Yeah, we'll have a grand old time."

"Was that sarcasm?"

The older man closed his eyes, "Not in the least. I'm willing to try you on in more ways than one. For now though, give me a kiss good night."

Complying, Jinta snuggled against Renji and gave him as gentle a kiss as he could. "Thanks for tonight. It was… different. But enjoyable."

"Anytime." A fond smile followed the statement. Renji grabbed Jinta's hand when he felt it gliding down to his waistband. "Let's get some sleep. There'll be plenty of time for that soon enough."

Jinta sighed, but complied. Renji was too pure for him, but that only made him want it even more.

* * *

As the night carried on, so did the drinking. Ichigo managed to spend some time with most everyone before the need to go home became too great to ignore. He stayed a bit longer to make sure the stragglers had a safe way home before he left. He heard Rukia mention that Nel would be spending the night, so he didn't need to look after her.

Admittedly buzzed, he was thankful it was so late and he had the ability to Flash Step. After executing a few in rapid successions, he stumbled a landing in front of his house and caught himself before he had an ungraceful meeting with the pavement. Of course, no one was around to see this. That's always the way it was…

He knew his sisters and father were probably asleep at this hour, though who knew what Grimmjow was up to…

Carefully, he made his way through the house and to his bedroom. Slowly, he opened the door and slipped inside.

And there he was.

Grimmjow was lying on his bed and set aglow under the moonlight flooding in from the open window. He headed over and took a seat beside him, placing a gentle hand on the man's bicep.

Grimmjow turned and those glowing eyes met his.

Ichigo felt weak in the stomach to see them in this state. Even so, he laid down beside Grimmjow, snuggling against him and pressing his lips against his neck.

Those glowing eyes were shown over his shoulder, still.

"Hey," Ichigo said.

"…"

"Sorry to be home so late. I didn't realize there was a party going on." The Arrancar remained silent. Ichigo was growing a bit uncomfortable with this silent treatment. "I wish you could've been there to meet them all… You know a few of them already, but not in a relaxed setting."

After a few seconds, Grimmjow turned and closed his eyes. He didn't particularly enjoy waiting around for Kurosaki, locked up in his house the whole time. And while leaving was never expressly forbidden, it's not like he trusted the people in this shitty kingdom and he wasn't sure what he might do if one of them came at him crossly.

So here he waited while Kurosaki went out and had his fun, coming back smelling of alcohol and a slew of other people.

When he felt Kurosaki's hand creep forward to his stomach, he grabbed his wrist and held it in place.

"Good night." He finally spoke.

"Grimm, are you mad at me?"

"What gave you that impression?"

"You're literally giving the cold shoulder. I just want to be close to you. I missed you while I was out, you know."

No response came.

"We're going out tomorrow, on that date you promised me."

Grimmjow turned to lay on his back and stared at his mate. "That's the reason I'm here." He stated, not seeming thrilled about the idea.

Ichigo smiled nonetheless. Leaning forward, he kissed Grimmjow on the lips. "Good night, Grimmjow." He said as he closed his eyes, "My Grimmjow…" he whispered as he slowly but surely drifted into a gentle sleep.

Said man stared at the younger for a while. He, too, started falling asleep until Pantera emerged from the shadowed part of the room to climb into bed with them. He was too big and Grimmjow made to kick him off, but the panther growled as a result and he knew this was how he'd be stuck sleeping tonight.

This tiny room and bed were a far cry from the exquisite palace he'd once known. Even so, he realized it was less lonely here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget to leave a comment! They help the writing process in so many ways


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